


Coldplay

by iamgizy (saddle_tramp)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-16
Updated: 2009-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-15 17:15:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 74,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/163051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddle_tramp/pseuds/iamgizy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rating: NC-17<br/>Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ginny/Hermione, others<br/>Summary:<br/>Songfic (yes, really) series that mostly follows canon up to the end of <i>Order of the Phoenix</i>. This was inspired by several songs by the band Coldplay, so that’s what I called the series.</p><p>Overall summary: Draco doesn't know who he can trust... Does Harry?</p><p>Warnings:<br/>Draco OOCness abounds, and there are mentions of past major character deaths.<br/>Also, this Blaise doesn't follow current canon; this was begun long before JKR decided to tell us anything but his name and that he's Slytherin.<br/>This story had more planned, but I lost my muse for it. I think It stands well enough as it is to share it, though.</p><p>It's not finished the way I originally intended, but it did stop at a good point in the story for <i>an</i> ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spies

_~*~*~_ __

__I awake to find, no peace of mind,_  
 _I said, "How do you live, as a fugitive,_  
 _Down here, where I cannot see so clear?"_ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco was dreaming about licking his way up a tanned back towards unruly dark hair that smelled of sweat and sex when a cold hand touching his bare shoulder woke him abruptly. He grabbed the wand under his pillow, rolling away from whoever had touched him and landing on the floor beyond the bed in a crouch. He blinked when he realized his wand was pointed at a very surprised Blaise Zabini and then allowed himself to relax a bit. Blaise, while often annoying, wasn't quite an enemy.

" _Merlin!_ No _wonder_ nobody ever stays long with you." Blaise backed slowly away from the other side of the narrow bed, holding both hands up and open in front of him so that Draco would have no reason to hex him. "I don't even have my wand out, Draco, so don't transfigure me into anything _nasty_. I just wanted to thank you and say good night before I left. It's _usually_ considered to be good manners when one has a nice shag."

Draco stood gracefully and lowered his wand, seeming to ignore the fact that Blaise was fully dressed while he was naked but for a pair of socks. "Good night, then." Draco thought Blaise looked as if he wanted to say something more, so he patiently waited for Blaise to speak again. Long experience had taught Draco that the other boy would be much easier to get rid of if he allowed him to say whatever was on his mind. Blaise was sometimes slow to find the words to verbalize what he was thinking, but he seldom gave up until he had.

Blaise recognized Draco's patience for what it was and spent a few moments searching for the right words while he let his gaze roam over Draco's lithe, perfect body. Blaise knew that it was time for him to find someone with which to make permanent alliance, now that his schooling was nearly complete. Blaise's father worked in an important position at the Ministry, but his family couldn't begin to compare their monetary worth with the wealth of the old blood families such as the Malfoys and the Parkinsons. Blaise wanted a powerful consort of course, but he wanted a wealthy one as well and that narrowed his choices considerably. Draco was the obvious choice for many reasons, not the least of which was Blaise's refusal to put any more power into the hands of the Parkinsons. He loathed Pansy.

Draco was by far the most well connected Slytherin of their year. He was a talented wizard, breezing through the Hogwarts curriculum as if it were child's play, and would be very formidable with the right encouragement. He had been born with more money and power than he knew what to do with and ancestral alliances with many of the powerful old families. Draco had also made many alliances of his own, earning a soft spot in the heart of many prominent young Slytherins with his magical abilities or his personal charms, yet he seemingly had no ambition to make the most of it. Draco seemed to be the first Malfoy in ages to have inherited everything but the all-consuming ambition Malfoys were known for. Draco, it seemed, wanted nothing more than to enjoy himself to the best of his ability.

Blaise would have made a try for the slender, graceful blonde even if his father hadn't specifically instructed him to get closer to the Malfoy heir. Draco's contacts would be very helpful to Blaise if he could cement an alliance, and the fact that he was beautiful as well just made the prospect of settling down with him that much more attractive. The only drawback, at least in Blaise's mind, had been that Draco was popular among the less-than-straight members of their House and known to prefer bottoming. Blaise had expected Draco's body to reflect that but Draco had instead been deliciously tight, which had added a bit of extra pleasure to the thrill of shagging someone so much higher in social rank.

Blaise's blue eyes narrowed slightly and he involuntarily licked his lips when he noticed the darkening bruises left by his fingers on Draco's hips. He recalled exactly how he had left those bruises there, and he had enjoyed every moment of it. It could be decidedly difficult to stay on Draco's good side, but after tonight he was sure it would be worth the extra effort. Blaise had shagged many of the less-than-straight boys in the school, even a few Gryffindors, and considered himself a connoisseur of exactly who qualified as a spectacular shag. He was quite sure Draco was something special; just then he wouldn't have hesitated to say Draco was the best lay in the school.

Blaise finally met Draco's gaze again after a few minutes and sighed, giving up on finding the right thing to say. He had quite enjoyed his time with Draco, but the patient, almost bored expression on Draco's face wasn't encouraging. Draco seemed only to be waiting for him to leave so Blaise would oblige him this time, hoping that by doing as Draco seemed to want him to do he would be invited back that much sooner. It was possible, he knew. The only boys Draco shagged a second time were the ones that did exactly as he wanted them to do.

"Good night," Blaise finally murmured. "You know where to find me, should you want my company. I... I hope you will."

Draco simply nodded, his expression giving away no hint of what he might be feeling as he wondered how many other people Blaise had said the same thing to in the last few days. It was likely a high number, considering Blaise's popularity. Pansy was fond of saying that Blaise would shag anyone who was pretty enough, male or female, and it was demonstrably true. She also called Blaise a slut quite often, but Draco thought she was simply bitter. Blaise had been very drunk when he slept with Pansy, and never gave her a second go-round.

It was easy for Draco to understand why Blaise was so popular. Blaise was very handsome, tall and pale with features that reminded Draco of a slightly darker version of his late uncle Aurelius. It was much easier on Draco's state of mind to note Blaise's similarity to his father's brother and ignore how similar Aurelius and Lucius had been. If he thought about how much Blaise resembled the elder Malfoy, he might be sick. Lucius had hinted that he would welcome Draco to his bed several times, even though Draco found the mere idea revolting, and the fact he had just allowed someone so similar to Lucius to shag him wasn't something Draco wished to dwell on.

Blaise wasn't just nice to look at though; he was also from a prominent Wizarding family with strong connections to those in power. While not as wealthy as some, the Zabinis were much more low-key about their connections to Voldemort and as such they still had high standing at the Ministry. There were few families more respected by the Wizarding world at large, and little chance for Blaise to marry someone that would further his position politically unless he married a Malfoy.

Draco suppressed the urge to make a face at that thought, wondering if Blaise also realized that and was hoping to add the Malfoys to the Zabini family political network. It was possible, likely even, and Draco hoped his father wouldn't latch on to the idea as well. The Zabinis and Malfoys both already had too much power as far as Draco was concerned, and surely didn't need their heirs to combine it all. Family pride was the only thing that Draco could think of that might keep it from happening, if he was lucky. Neither the Zabinis nor the Malfoys would want to give up their heirs' names, especially not to each other.

Blaise watched Draco's face a few moments longer while Draco waited for him to speak, wondering what Draco was thinking behind those pale blue-grey eyes that gave away so little unless Draco wanted them to. He had hoped that Draco would have more to say, would say something to give _him_ a clue as to what _he_ should say, but it didn't happen.

After a silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, Blaise finally turned away. Draco had nothing to say to him and Blaise couldn't find the right words to say what he felt, so he thought he should just go. Once he had made the decision, Blaise walked the short distance to the door and left Draco's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He would try again another time and perhaps, if he were lucky, he would be able to get through to Draco.

Draco sat down abruptly on the edge of his bed as soon as the door was closed, ignoring the twinge of discomfort the movement caused as he began mentally berating himself. _'Bloody brilliant_ _! Falling asleep with a_ Zabini _in the room! They're all neck deep with old slither-and-sneak and that makes Blaise dangerous, no matter how charming he may seem. He could have done_ anything _and you'd not have had a prayer of resisting him because you were bloody_ sleeping _! You are_ _not one of those lucky fools who has the luxury of relaxing their guard after they get shagged within an inch of their lives, and you are luckier than you deserve to be just to have survived it._ _'_

Draco snorted softly, looking down at the wand he still held in his hands. ' _No more of that for you! No,_ you _will have to stick to_ _Malcolm for the rest of the term. It can only be a good thing that he is a year younger and quite a bit less intelligent than Blaise. He reports your every move to that perverted bastard who sired you, but at least he knows better than to stick around after he gets off._ '

Draco made a face at that thought and stood to pick up the uniform he had left scattered across the floor, thinking about how it had come to be there.

It had all started because Draco had been horny after Quidditch practice, something that was an admittedly normal occurrence. He had made the decision to get laid, preferably by someone new, and he had gone on the prowl the moment he left the locker rooms. When he caught Blaise watching him on the way to dinner it had played right into his plans for the evening. Blaise was quite gorgeous enough to be going on with and had a reputation as a skilled lover, if not a particularly enduring one. Draco thought that both were a definite plus; he could get laid properly and then get rid of Blaise to free his evening so he could relax.

Draco had spent most of the meal flirting shamelessly with Blaise and then left the dining hall with Blaise following at his heels. By the time they reached the dungeons, they had already stopped several times to snog in shadowed corners and Draco had been groped within an inch of his life. Blaise had been all over Draco as they crossed the common room, so intent on Draco that he was completely oblivious to the snickers and stares that followed them.

Draco had noticed the reactions of the other Slytherins but he had ignored them. Everywhere he went people watched him, and he had long ago decided it was just part of life as a Malfoy. He had been tugging at Blaise's clothes even before his bedroom door had closed behind them, and both were naked within moments. Draco hadn't gotten laid properly in several days and had wanted nothing more than for Blaise to shag him senseless, and Blaise made certain that Draco got what he wanted.

Draco snorted softly at his own folly and finished retrieving his clothes, putting thoughts of the last few hours out of his mind. Blaise had been a very good lay, yes, but for Draco that was as far as it went. He made it a firm policy never to get attached to anyone before _or_ after he shagged them, and Blaise would be no different. Sex was one of his favorite ways to pass an evening, but it was little more than a game to him, sometimes as much fun as Quidditch but much less important in the overall scheme of things.

Draco moved back to the bed, dropping his wand and most of his clothes on it so he could begin to dress. He pulled his trousers on quickly, not bothering with underwear, and then tucked his wand into the specially made pocket along his left thigh that completely concealed all but an inch of the polished handle. He picked up his shirt again and shrugged into it, buttoning it efficiently but not bothering to tuck it in, and then flinched slightly as he moved too quickly to step into his low half-boots. The silver and green Slytherin tie was next and he tied it quickly and neatly out of long habit, tugging it mostly snug as he made the decision not to bother with the jumper. He moved towards the puddle of black fabric near the door instead and picked it up, checking for the Prefect's badge to be sure it was his robe.

Reassured that it was, Draco quickly shook out the material and then swung it around his shoulders, fastening the ornate silver snake cloak-clasp at the throat before he moved towards his desk. He opened the right hand drawer and removed a small blue bottle to take a sip of the healing draught he kept there. He wrinkled his nose at the taste and smell, thinking that there was a reason the potion called for 'peppermint oil to taste' as he felt a tingle spread throughout his body and the minor discomfort of his abused arse faded away.

He refused to drink potions made by anyone but himself or Professor Snape as a rule, and had in fact made this particular potion himself, so he had no one else to blame for the fact the potion tasted and smelled exactly like pond scum. He put the bottle away again, remembering his blithe disregard for the taste when he had made this bottle and resolving to make time for a trip to the greenhouses soon to replenish his supply of peppermint. He would be shagging that ham-fisted idiot Malcolm in the future, so he would undoubtedly have need of the potion more often.

He kept his own store of the potion because he was prone to choosing bed partners who hurt him, whether accidentally or on purpose, and hated to bear anyone's mark any longer than he had to. It would have been entirely too embarrassing to go ask Snape or Pomfrey for a healing draught, especially Pomfrey, who would insist on checking him out thoroughly. The professors ignored the seventh years' love lives most of the time, but Draco had no doubt he would be in some sort of trouble if Pomfrey examined him and found out just why he most often needed the draught. He couldn't believe that a Slytherin, especially a Slytherin Prefect whose father was a Death Eater, could get away with having injuries caused by rough sex. With the way the Malfoy luck was currently running, Draco would be accused of Imperio-assisted rape and shuffled off to Azkaban.

He closed the desk drawer and moved to the mirror that hung near his wardrobe as he pulled a small, ornate silver comb from the pocket of his robe. He began to work on his disheveled hair, gently combing away the tangles and showing far more patience for it than most would have expected from him. He inspected his face as he worked on restoring his habitually neat appearance, eventually smiling as he decided to leave his hair loose. He knew that he was more than a bit vain, but he was of the strong belief that all beautiful things cared about their appearance. He reasoned that if they didn't, they would cease to be beautiful and that was something he simply refused to do. He had long known his looks were a decided advantage when dealing with others, either because they wanted him for themselves or because they wanted to be seen with him, and he needed any advantages he could get.

When he finally was satisfied with his appearance again, he put away the comb and crossed to the door, then stepped out into the hallway that led back to the Slytherin common room. The few younger students that ventured down the Prefects' hallway usually marveled at the glass wall along one side that afforded a very nice view of the lake, but the novelty had long ago worn off for Draco. He didn't even glance at the mermaids that stopped to watch him pass, and the oddly beautiful landscape of the lake's depths might as well have been blank stone.

Draco walked quickly along the corridor and then into the Slytherin common room with his usual grace. Several conversations paused as the students he passed, some nominal friends and others simply admirers, turned to watch him. Draco ignored them and passed through the room without once looking away from the door, seemingly not even aware of his audience.

Within moments he was walking up the darkened stairway that led to the castle proper, his footsteps ringing quick and sure against the stone stairs. He had no idea exactly where he might be going, but he intended to get there without being forced to be polite to anyone.

 

 _~*~*~_ __

__I said, "What do I know?_  
 _Show me the right way to go,"_  
 _And the spies came out of the water._  
 _But you're feeling so bad 'cause you know,_  
 _That the spies hide out in every corner,_  
 _But you can't touch them though,_  
 _'Cause they're all spies, they're all spies._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco wandered the castle for over an hour before he noticed a couple -- Seamus Finnegan and a plain Hufflepuff girl Draco didn't know -- kissing in an alcove off the second-floor hallway. That gave him a purpose for his wanderings and he altered his course towards hallways popular for snogging, sending the occasional couple scurrying back to their dorms with minor hexes to speed them on their way. He didn't particularly care what they were doing, of course, but any excuse to hex someone was good enough for him.

He quite enjoyed the sport of 'snogger hunting', but his heart wasn't really in it tonight and it showed. Normally students he caught had to fear they would be hit by a difficult combination of charms and spells that a sixth or seventh year would have to think a bit to reverse. Tonight though, Draco couldn't be bothered to think up creative new combinations, instead using simple hexes and transfigurations that he thought any third year would be able to reverse. The fact that his opinion of what a third year should be able to do was a bit higher than the norm was completely notwithstanding.

It was well after curfew by the time Draco finally began to climb the stairs that led to the top of the Astronomy tower. If he looked about up there, he expected to send at least one more snogging or even shagging couple scurrying for their dorms. He was beginning to tire when he silently emerged from the stairwell into the observation area, but he thought it would be a waste to return before checking the most popular place in the school for a quick shag.

After taking a moment to enjoy the fresh air, Draco began to move forward, looking around with particular attention to the shadows. He had come up to the top of the tower twice in the past without catching someone at the very least snogging, but both times had been so he himself could shag someone in relative peace. He had only taken a few steps before he stopped in surprise, staring at the sight before him.

Harry Potter was sitting on one of the battlements, looking a bit melancholy with his knees pulled up to his chest to support his folded arms and his chin as he stared out over the lake. He was still dressed in his school uniform, though messily so, and he had obviously not heard Draco's arrival. The upper curve of the full moon slowly rising above the forest cast a soft silvery light on the scene that made Harry look almost ghostly. His tanned skin was unnaturally pale in the odd lighting and his shining dark hair reflected the silvery light just enough to make it look almost misted over. The effect would have been spooky if Harry had not looked so very solid, something that no ghost could manage.

Draco found himself lingering to admire Harry's profile for several minutes. He couldn't see much of Harry's face but that didn't bother him as he let his gaze travel slowly over Harry's muscular shoulders and back to linger a moment at the almost-hidden curve of his arse. A part of himself that Draco had fought to ignore for over a year pointed out how well-built Harry was, and how completely honest, and Draco felt a sudden urge to see what would happen if he broke their tradition and truly spoke to him. He had no problem finding athletic, handsome bedfellows, but finding someone he could trust to be honest was infinitely more precious to him.

 _'_ _And I really_ could _trust him_ _I think,_ _if I dared to be honest with him. I doubt his sense of honor would allow him to lie to me, and even if he tried, he is simply the_ _worst liar I have ever seen. I am quite sure he knows it, too; everyone else in the school does._ _'_

Draco nibbled his lower lip a moment and then allowed his feet to carry him towards Harry, still unsure of exactly what he would do or say when he reached him. This seemed to be his night for impulsive action, and Draco was willing to go with the urge to speak to the handsome young man before him. It was surely safer than allowing Blaise into his bed had been, so Draco's evening couldn't get much worse.

The sound of footsteps against the stone took a moment to register in Harry's mind, but when they did Harry glanced over his shoulder to see who was approaching. He blinked when he saw Draco moving towards him, surprise turning quickly to wariness as he watched the taller boy approach. "What are _you_ doing up here, Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged instead of replying as he watched Harry turn to sit sideways on the low stone ledge, probably so that he could see Draco better. The light of the moon glinted off of the Head Boy badge on Harry's robes and the lenses of his glasses at the new angle, obscuring Harry's expressive green eyes and making Draco realize suddenly just how much they gave away. With Harry's eyes behind that silver glare, he found himself barely able to read Harry beyond the fact that he was understandably wary.

Draco walked over to sit near Harry and then swung his legs around so that he was facing the lake. He pulled his feet up to rest his chin on his knees then, not bothering to even look at Harry as he stared instead at the moon. Normally the wariness he had seen in Harry's expression would have made him smirk, but this time it just made him feel empty. He didn't want Harry to be wary of him, not tonight. Draco needed to talk to someone who saw him as an equal, not as someone to be feared, and Harry was the closest thing he had to a trustworthy equal, despite their history as enemies.

Harry watched Draco warily for a long moment, searching the other boy's face and posture for some hint of what was going through his head. Draco's expression was blank and serious, and Harry's curiosity about Draco's odd behavior intensified. Draco normally wouldn't have missed a chance to snark at him, especially when he found Harry alone in the castle's most popular trysting spot. The Draco that Harry knew, however shallowly, should have at least made a disparaging remark about Harry not being able to find someone to snog. His silence was baffling, but more than a little bit intriguing as well.

Harry finally decided that Draco would speak when he was ready and turned his gaze back towards the moon as well, determined to wait him out. There were many things that Harry wasn't sure about, but he _was_ sure that he was more patient than Draco, and he intended to prove it.

Draco was content just to sit and watch the moon slowly rise, oblivious to the fact Harry was waiting for him to speak. The two of them sat in an oddly companionable silence for a long while, listening to the soft sounds of the night or an occasional gust of breeze, and neither of them moved until the lower edge of the moon cleared the tree line. Draco suddenly turned his head to look at Harry then, his pale eyes shining silver in the moonlight.

"How many people can you trust?" Draco asked softly. Harry turned his head to look at Draco, and Harry's surprised expression caused Draco to elaborate a bit. "I mean those people who you _know_ would give their life for you, without hesitation. People you could tell anything to and it wouldn't change anything."

Harry just stared at Draco, wondering what had brought that question on and why Draco chose to ask him of all people. The question made him think about exactly whom he could trust though, and how much he could trust them, and he took a few moments to consider his answer. He had met a lot of people through Hogwarts or the Order, and he had befriended too many of them to count. He had a lot of friends, especially those still at school, who he knew he could trust his life to in some situations. They weren't all close friends though, and he most definitely didn't trust most of them with his secrets. That was a much shorter list and even harder to get down to a specific count. Deciding whom he could trust that much took him a few minutes.

"By your definition," Harry finally replied, "I trust eleven people. Any one of them would do anything for me if I needed them to, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't change no matter what I did."

"Who?" Draco asked simply, watching Harry with a closed expression.

Harry looked into Draco's eyes and saw less emotion there than he might have found in a stone, and suddenly wondered when he had last seen Draco look as if he truly cared about anything. That brought to mind the question of what had changed to make Draco so distant, and Harry wracked his brain to try and think of a reason for it. Harry himself had been rather distant during sixth year, and he knew that had made him much less observant of other people's problems. He had spent much of the school year so lost in his own pain and angst that he barely noticed even Hermione and Ginny's problems, much less anyone else's.

Harry had gone through more than half of his sixth year alternating between trying to get Ron out of his heart and trying to convince Ron that being a 'poofter' wasn't the end of the world. He had just barely gotten through to Ron that love was too important to throw away, no matter who it was, before he lost him. Harry had gone through hell after that and was much more of a loner now, but he knew he had improved drastically during seventh year. He had decided early in the fall term that he was more content with a boyfriend, if not precisely happy, and with his life expectancy such as it was, he had decided to be as close to happy as possible.

Many still didn't approve of the fact that he was unapologetically queer, but Harry had decided that life was far too short to try and hide such an important part of himself. Within the Wizarding world, heirs were expected to marry and continue their bloodline, no matter what their personal preferences. Magic, specifically several potions that took considerable skill to brew, could enable wizards to have children with other wizards, yes, but it was highly frowned upon. Some experimentation was considered normal, especially while at school, but to identify himself as queer and state freely that he never intended to have a wife or children was frowned upon by almost every adult Harry knew.

Despite the sneers and derision his choice of partner sometimes drew though, Harry was as close to happy as he thought he could be. He usually had a boyfriend and he always had his best friends, Hermione and Ginny, to turn to for simple companionship when he needed it. His schooling was going quite well, and his skill at the practical part of the N.E.W.T. exams was such that he was poised to make decent marks on them even if he bombed the written portions. The only N.E.W.T. he was still worried about was Potions, but Hermione was confident she could tutor him enough to help him at least pass.

No matter how much Harry's life had improved though, he was still usually absorbed completely by his own concerns and hadn't really noticed Draco's problems during that time. The only thing he could recall that might have changed for Draco in that time was the fact that Lucius Malfoy had escaped Ministerial custody last May.

Harry suppressed the sudden urge to shudder, remembering the casual viciousness Lucius had shown while escaping his trial and wondering if it had extended to his family when he returned to them. During his escape, the elder Malfoy had killed many of the witnesses against him, including Minister Fudge, Ron, Percy, and Luna, as well as many members of the Order and the Wizengamut. He had injured or killed dozens of others who were gathered to testify or simply to observe, including several of his own supporters who had the misfortune to sit near the targets of Lucius' wrath.

During the collapse of a balcony weakened by the last volley of spells, Harry and Hermione had both very nearly died because they were too worried about saving the other people in danger to watch out for themselves. Their injuries had been severe enough that they missed several weeks of school, staying in a secluded ward at St. Mungo's with members of the Order constantly watching over them.

Harry and Hermione had both been hit hard by Ron's death, and while they were in the hospital their shared grief had drawn them closer together while somehow pushing them further apart as well. When they returned to school just before exams, Harry withdrew into himself quite a bit more than anyone thought was healthy for him. He refused all efforts to 'help' him, growing resentful of the fact his 'friends' wouldn't give him a moment's peace because they hated seeing him lonely, and hid from everyone unless he had to be in class. It was the end of term by the time Ginny convinced everyone to just give him some space and they finally backed off. Harry had spent the summer in relative peace and near-solitude at Grimmauld Place, attending meals but otherwise disappearing into the library for days at a time, even going so far as to ward the doors to ensure his privacy. The solitude had helped him as nothing else could, and when term began again he was ready to go on with his life, though on his own terms.

Harry realized suddenly that he'd been sitting there lost in thought for quite some time and pushed his memories away, turning his attention back to answering Draco. "Well, there's what passes as my family," Harry said slowly, "which would of course be Hermione, Remus, and the Weasleys. I'd trust Neville with my life too. They've all stood by me through everything, even when they didn't have to."

Draco just looked at Harry in silence for a bit and then shifted to face away from the lake, putting his feet back down off the battlement. "It must be nice to have so many true friends."

Harry was shocked. "Draco, you have a _lot_ more friends than I do! Crabbe and Goyle would think it a _treat_ to die for you, and then there's Pansy, Blaise, Millicent, and Theodore, just to name the ones in our year..."

Draco calmly watched Harry's animated face as he listed some of the least-trustworthy people Draco knew, which was saying quite a lot considering who Draco knew. When Harry quieted again, Draco waited a moment to make sure he was through and then said softly, "I can't trust any of them as much I trust you, Harry, and you'd not hesitate to kill me if you thought I deserved it."

Draco stood to go then, quite a bit more depressed than he had been when he asked the question. Harry's answer, as innocently as he knew it had been intended, had just reinforced how very untenable his own position was. He had quite a lot of 'friends' he couldn't trust, a scruple-free father who was a wanted criminal, and a mother who worshipped said father. When Draco remembered how he, too, had worshipped his father even just a year ago, it made him wonder if Weasley had been right all along. Being a Malfoy truly wasn't the wonderful privilege Draco had thought it was when he was younger; these days it seemed more like a particularly loathsome curse.

Harry impulsively reached out to grab Draco's right hand before he could take more than a step away from the battlement, looking up at him. "I'd like to be your friend Draco, if you'd just let me."

Draco's expression shifted into a slight sneer that somehow didn't seem to Harry as if it had any real feeling of disdain behind it. "Potter, you knew better than that even before we were _Sorted!_ Surely, you don't think I am going to miraculously change into one of the white hats now? It's too late, I've done too many things I shouldn't have."

"No, it's not," Harry replied firmly as he tightened his grip on Draco's hand. "It's _never_ too late as long as we’re breathing. What happened before is all in the past if you're willing to let it be." Harry looked up into Draco's pale blue eyes for a long moment, wondering at how they seemed to glow silver in the moonlight, then added softly, "You can talk to me anytime you need a friend, Draco. If you like, I won't even tell Hermione or Ginny, I promise."

Draco looked down at Harry for a little while, fully aware that a promise to keep a secret from Hermione and Ginny wasn't something Harry would offer to just anyone. The two girls were the closest thing Harry had to siblings, and rumors had gone 'round most of the term that Harry was sleeping with one or both of them, Ginny in particular. Harry and Ginny often sat exceedingly close together at meals or wrapped an arm around each other as they walked the halls, and several Gryffindors had spread it about that Ginny liked to sit in Harry's lap while they watched Hermione tutor their classmates.

Draco didn't necessarily believe all of the rumors were true, but he did think there was a seed of truth in them. Harry was closer to Ginny and Hermione than to any other people alive, spending most of his time in their company and often getting far more intimate with them than any queer male ought to be inclined. There was obviously quite a lot of love, teasing, and flirting between Harry and Ginny, and even Draco had seen enough familiarity and trust between them to make him long for a friend like that.

Still, a promise from Harry not to tell Ginny or Hermione was as good as a promise not to tell anyone, and Draco was sorely tempted to spill out all of his problems right then and there. Draco knew that Harry probably already had some idea of why he, on approaching his eighteenth birthday, would suddenly need to talk, so he doubted that Harry had made the offer to listen lightly. Harry was a major player on the side of the Light, not just because he was the Boy Who Lived but also because he refused to sit back and _not_ be one of those in the thick of it.

Draco knew as well as most of the rest of the Wizarding world that Harry had already had very public falling-outs with quite a few people over how Dumbledore chose to run the fight against Voldemort. Relations between the two had grown so strained that the Daily Prophet had taken to reporting that Harry was a 'wild card' instead of hailing him as Dumbledore's pet savior. Dumbledore had left Harry in the dark too many times and allowed too many attacks that could have been stopped, and Harry no longer wanted anything to do with him or most of the other adults on the side of the Light. They had all lost esteem in Harry's eyes, going from being the somewhat infallible authorities he ran to with every problem to little more than sheep, with Dumbledore as their rather lax shepherd.

Since the beginning of seventh year, Harry had seldom paid any attention to the restrictions the Hogwarts staff tried to place on him, and he had made it obvious that he didn't trust any of the professors anymore. He was still at least moderately respectful to most of the staff, but there were notable exceptions, such as the new Defense teacher. Professor Vance was an old friend of Dumbledore's and well known to be in the 'inner circle' that truly ran the fight against Voldemort. Early in the year when the class was discussing the first rise of Voldemort, she had said that Harry's parents had been reckless and he and many others were orphans because of it. Harry had gotten up and walked right out of class, and he had flatly refused to return until Hermione stood up at breakfast one morning over a week later and yelled at him to stop being childish. She had stomped off then and Harry had remained stubbornly at the table until Dean Thomas said something to him that made Harry finally go to class.

"What about your boyfriend, Dean?" Draco asked almost as soon as he'd thought of the tall, dark Gryffindor Harry had dated for the last several months. Draco had always disliked Dean, though he had never taken the time to try and pin down an exact reason why. Getting near Thomas made him want to spit in his face and that was enough for Draco.

Harry, who had been waiting patiently for Draco to think through whatever was on his mind, shook his head. "He's _not_ my boyfriend, and no, I wouldn't tell him. He and I don't really talk very much anymore."

Draco's lips suddenly curved into a little smirk, and he stepped closer to Harry as widening green eyes stared up at him in surprise. "Does that mean you're single, Potter?" Draco impulsively lifted his free hand, reaching out to stroke his fingertips slowly along Harry's cheek. There was a sudden flare of interest in Harry's eyes and Draco's smirk widened even though he would have been hard-pressed to say why that spark of heat cheered him up so drastically. "Did you finally break up with that great hulking Beater you've been shagging?" Draco asked, stroking Harry's jaw again as he waited for a reply, his eyes narrowing at the way Harry shivered slightly at the touch but didn't pull away.

Harry suddenly realized he was still holding Draco's other hand and let go abruptly, though he didn't move away from the fingertips lightly stroking his face. "I did, yes," Harry finally replied, his cheeks flaming as he stared up at Draco, obviously flustered. "I've no idea why you would care though."

Draco held Harry's gaze with his own and cupped Harry's cheek as he leaned down as if to kiss him, slowly getting closer until Harry's expressive eyes fluttered closed. Draco stopped with their lips little more than a hair's-breadth apart, his lips brushing against Harry's ever so slightly as he whispered with a smirk, "I _do_ care."

Draco pulled away suddenly and turned in a graceful swirl of robes, walking quickly to the stairwell and then disappearing down the stairs, still smirking to himself. Potter was single and wanted him, and that was the best news Draco had heard all day. He made it almost to the bottom of the stairwell before he realized that he wanted Harry as well, and quite a bit more than he could remember wanting anyone, especially someone that he was walking away from.

That thought wiped the smirk right off of his face and sobered him as surely as a chilling charm would have, stopping him in his tracks. He continued towards the dungeons after a short pause, searching his feelings and trying to make sense of them, sure that his life was about to get even more complicated.

Harry remained up on the battlements long after Draco had gone, wide-eyed and trembling a bit as he tried to decide if he was glad that Draco hadn't kissed him or not.

 

 _~*~*~_ __

__I awake to see, that no one is free,_  
 _We're all fugitives._  
 _Look at the way we fit,_  
 _Down here, I cannot sleep from fear, no._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes, gathering his courage. He needed to read the letter he had just received, but he truly didn't want to. Seeing his father's eagle owl waiting for him in the common room when he passed through on his way to dinner had completely robbed him of his appetite, and as soon as he had retrieved the scroll, he had returned to his room.

Some small part of him was still hoping that he was wrong, but he was almost certain what his mother's flowing script would say. He had been dreading this day since his father took it upon himself to inform Draco that all Malfoys were betrothed by their eighteenth birthday. After the row he had with Blaise the night before last, Draco had expected a letter would arrive soon.

Draco took another deep breath and then opened the letter anyway, trying to keep himself ready for the worst.

 

~~~

 _Draco-_ _  
I was quite dismayed when I heard that you have spurned not only young Theodore but the Zabini boy as well._

_Blaise is quite the catch from what I have seen of him. He is from a wonderful family, handsome, and very much the gentleman with a reputation of being a considerate young man. I spoke with the boy when he was visiting his father last weekend, and he reminds me quite a lot of your father when he was young. I find it extremely hard to understand why you do not wish to see him again. Your father would quite like to have him as a part of the family, as would I, and the Zabinis have made it plain that you would be a welcome addition to their family as well._

_It's very difficult for us to make a good match for a boy of your ... proclivities ... and I had hoped you would tolerate this one, though I suppose you'll marry some nice young man with or without my help. Your father seems to know more than you have told me. He says that you are sure to have made up your mind by your birthday, and that the match will please me. I had hoped you would trust your mother with something so important but I was obviously wrong, so I will not bother you about it again._

_Speaking of your father, he already has the entire weekend planned. He has been quite beside himself waiting! He is going to formally introduce you to some very important friends. They have quite a lot planned for you from what I understand, and you should be excited and proud to know they intend you to move up quickly amongst them. After you have gotten to know everyone, there is to be a big party for your birthday Saturday night, and a betrothal ceremony on Sunday with your father's friends as witnesses. Lucius says that our Lord has plans for you and your betrothed, but he was being annoying and refused to let me in on what those plans might be or even to whom you will be betrothed. _

_Do behave yourself this weekend. Your entire future depends on how you act towards your father's friends. They are very important people and your father is quite attached to them, as you know. He wants you to become attached too, now that you are of age, and I think it is quite a good idea._

_I wish that I could write more, but I must go; your father says it is time to leave again. Give Pansy my love, and do rethink your insistence not to marry her just because she's not your ... type. Your father and I were a Blood match, and have been quite happy together for almost twenty years now. Pansy would make a fine mother for your heir, and would be excellent company for myself while you and your father are off with his friends._

_All my love,_ _  
Mummy_

~~~

Draco shuddered at the thought of a lifetime of living with Pansy. She was almost as trustworthy as his father was, and Draco knew quite well that Lucius would throw him to the wolves without a second's hesitation if it furthered his purposes. Pansy also was pathologically incapable of being faithful to anyone or anything but herself, so Draco felt she was an exceedingly bad choice for a wife. If he were to raise an heir, which admittedly was very unlikely, there would have to be no doubt of the child's sire. Children in general were a responsibility Draco didn't particularly want, and raising some other bloke's by-blow held no attraction for him. In that, he was very like his mother, who had always wanted nothing to do with any child other than own.

Draco looked back down at the parchment and skimmed the letter again, picking out the words ' _our Lord has plans for you and your betrothed_ ' and ' _he wants you to become attached too_ ' before he tossed the note in the floor. He wasn't surprised at all when the parchment burst into flame almost as soon as it hit the dark stone. He watched it burn in silence, his mind totally blank of all thought except the fact his parents wanted to give him a betrothal _and_ the Dark Mark for his eighteenth birthday.

Normal people got the gift of a flat, or a job offer, or even a Muggle car, all of which Draco thought could be quite enjoyable, especially the flat. _Draco's_ parents had to be different though, of course. _They_ wanted their precious, pampered, pureblood son to become the soul-bonded slave of a lunatic. As if that were not enough to be going on with, they _also_ wanted him to agree to a binding legal and magical relationship with someone he surely couldn't trust, and would choose for him if he couldn't be arsed to pick someone himself. The fact that their choices seemed to be confined to the three worst matches he could think of amongst his age mates was simply the way Draco's luck ran these days.

All of it put together into one neatly-packaged weekend showed Draco precisely how much they cared, and cleared away his last shred of familial feeling for them. They wouldn't support whatever decision he wanted to make, so he would have to stand completely alone.

That was probably the most frightening possibility Draco had ever considered. He had never been on his own in his life, not for more than an hour or two. He simply couldn't imagine walking away from everything he knew to make his way on his own merits. He wouldn't miss his ties to his family name or being unwelcome in polite society, but he hated that he would be worse off than any nameless Muggleborn. He would never be able to make his own way outside of the Wizarding world, and there wouldn't be many options open to him within it after his family connections were stripped away. The fools on the side of the Light had no clue just how much influence Voldemort had in the Wizarding world, but Draco knew all too well.

Draco flopped to his back on his bed, gazing up at the moldy ceiling of his room. He refused to become someone's kept boy, but other than whoring himself out he had very little hope of getting a lucrative job if he turned his back on his family. His life would go from pampered ease to scraping by hand-to-mouth like a werewolf, and it would do so in very short order. Draco's pride could take many things -- had already taken more of a beating than most knew -- but living penniless would never be one of them. He simply refused to allow it.

' _That's it I suppose,_ _'_ he thought to himself finally. _'I should just slit my wrists now and be done with it. I can't imagine walking in there like a lamb to slaughter next week and letting old slither-and-sneak's pets torture me when I refuse the Mark. I_ will _refuse it, and that old bastard would surely enjoy watching his pets play with me again._ _'_

Draco sighed and turned his head to the side, looking across the room. His gaze focused on a simple dagger that lay on his desk, ostensibly for decoration. ' _I knew it would come to this when I bought the blade, so I might as well get it over with. I'm not going to become anyone's lapdog, no matter how powerful he may be._ _'_

Draco pushed himself up off the bed and walked over to the desk to stare down at the small traditional Scots dirk he had bought a few months ago. The handle was smooth golden curly maple with a matching wooden scabbard and delicately engraved silver fittings that included a triptych of Epona on the end of the pommel. Draco had chosen it because it reminded him of the silver trim on the bridle of his favorite horse in the family stables, a pale grey mare that he had been given the unlikely name Tar because she was born black. Draco could remember watching her grow up and later learning to jump on her when she was still just a youngster herself. She was one of the few things he would truly miss about Malfoy Manor.

Draco finally picked the dagger up and slid it out of the scabbard, careful not to touch the edges yet as he inspected the delicately patterned Damascus steel. The blade was seven inches long and razor sharp along both edges, with a serrated edge along a short section of one side near the hilt of the blade that the old witch he bought it from had told him was traditional. It was a plain blade compared to most daggers Draco had seen, and Muggle-made as well, but he thought it beautiful in its simplicity.

After staring at it for a few minutes, he lightly ran the pad of his thumb along the blade near the tip, not even flinching as a red stain slowly spread on the Damascus steel. ' _Good, it's as sharp as that old witch promised it would be. It should be relatively painless, and impossible for anyone to reverse if I can manage to keep to myself for an hour or two._ _'_ Draco lifted his thumb from the blade, calmly watching a large drop of blood run down over his skin. ' _Late tonight would be best I think, after everyone else has gone to bed. That way it will be hours until anyone comes looking for me, and by then I will be well and truly gone._ '

Draco laid the dagger aside and then reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, wiping the blood from his thumb to inspect the shallow cut critically before he dabbed at it again and then decided it didn't require a healing charm. He dropped the handkerchief on his desk and turned away, walking back over towards the bed. He had only taken a few steps before he paused in the middle of the room, nibbling the inside of his lower lip as he tried to decide how to pass the evening. It was relatively early yet, and if he stayed in his room someone was sure to come check on him, if only to annoy him. If he wished to be alone, and he most definitely did, he would have to go find somewhere else to spend the evening.

Draco suddenly remembered what Harry had told him over a month ago and looked thoughtfully across the room at the door, remembering the night he'd almost given in to the urge to talk to Harry and see what might happen. He had just gone with it at first when he realized that not only was he glad Harry was single again, but he _also_ wanted to kiss the one person who used annoy him most. He hadn't really thought about his reactions until their lips were almost touching and he had whispered to Harry that he did care. He hadn’t realized until after he left that he was telling the truth.

Harry's reactions to his advances had made it obvious that the green-eyed savior of the Wizarding world wanted Draco, and Draco had purposefully tried to leave him wanting more. He had been very smug about it until it dawned on him that he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it could be like to kiss Harry unless he knew it wouldn't be the last time. For Draco, who seldom walked away from anyone he wanted and had never had to worry that he would be turned down, that thought had brought him to his senses as nothing else could have. Harry had power over him simply by being Harry, with his honesty and impulsiveness and those green eyes Draco had tried to hate for so long, and it was a scary thing for Draco to realize.

Draco had gone back to his room with his thoughts in utter turmoil. He had lain awake that night, trying to figure out when his feelings for his nemesis had changed. He couldn't really pin down a date, but he finally decided it had been sometime in the last several months, when the looming realities of his own life made him begin to understand better how Harry's life might be. It had been a rude awakening for Draco to realize he didn't know any adults he could trust and that his 'friends' had motives that were likely based solely on his name and status. Draco had often found himself wishing he were anyone but a Malfoy this last year, even as he had been forced by circumstance to play the part of the lordling heir. He now knew exactly how it felt to hate your name and wish for anonymity, and what it was like to wish you could just walk away and forget it all for a while.

Near daybreak that first night he had finally admitted to himself that if he was going to be anything to Harry Potter, he wanted to be _everything_ to him, even though just the _thought_ had scared him more than he cared to admit. He'd spent the following two weeks avoiding Harry, sitting with his back to the Gryffindor tables at meals and avoiding all public areas in the hopes that not seeing him would mean he'd stop thinking about him. It had been rather obvious of him to try so hard to avoid Harry, Draco knew, but he had hoped it would work because he was afraid of exploring the still-unmapped feelings he had for Harry. So much of his life was changing that he wasn't sure he wanted to lose his best enemy as well, odd as that idea might have seemed to anyone else.

The feelings hadn't gone away though, instead intensifying to the point Draco was plagued by dreams of green eyes that had never been able to hide a thing and random recollections of Harry's face looking up at him in the moonlight. The surprised hunger he'd seen in Harry's eyes that night had sparked an answering hunger in Draco that was beginning to pop into his mind at the most annoying times. Draco was used to seeing someone and wanting to shag them, but wanting someone he hadn't even shagged yet so much that he ignored other offers was a new and scary thing for him.

It had helped that Harry hadn't attempted to talk to him, but Draco still found himself thinking about Harry almost constantly, particularly while in class. His fixation had gotten to the point that the aimless doodling he had often indulged in while others took notes had finally found a consistent target. He had left a drawing of a lightning bolt cracking a skull on his History notes one morning, and began a painstakingly detailed sketch of Harry's eyes in Arithmancy the next day. When Vincent had seen him adding Harry's glasses to the sketch near the end of class, Draco had been hard-pressed to explain himself. Since then he had made it a point to actually pay attention and take notes in his classes in an unsuccessful effort to distract himself from what he wanted to be doing.

Then, as if he hadn't _already_ been fixated enough, there had been an incident that had made Draco respect Harry more than he would have ever though possible.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Draco had always taken it for granted that Harry had the sort of pampered childhood he did. Harry was the _Boy Who Lived_ , for the love of Merlin, so it followed in Draco's mind that he would have had a happy, privileged childhood right up until an accurate but very unauthorized account of Harry's treatment at the hands of his Muggle relatives had been printed in the Daily Prophet a few days ago.

Reading about the way Harry had been locked away in a cupboard and mistreated by his cousin shattered Draco’s comfortable delusions. Seeing a Wizarding photo of the cousin beating up a Muggle boy twice Harry's size had brought home just how strong the cousin was physically. The cousin bore a disturbing resemblance to a particularly mean crossbred bull Draco had met as a boy after it plowed through four fences and the Malfoy boundary wards to get in with his father's prize-winning Angus cows. Steaks made from Harry's cousin weren't likely to taste quite as good, but Draco rather thought that would still be the best possible use for him.

Harry's reaction when someone showed him the paper was even more shocking than the article itself had been. Draco had expected embarrassment, but Harry had stood up right there in the Great Hall and looked around as he casually waved the paper and said it was true, and that the article really made it sound nicer than it had been. He had walked up then and tossed the paper on the staff table in front of Dumbledore as he said loudly that someone had obviously been talking out of turn. He hadn't waited for a reply before he turned away and left with Hermione and Ginny quickly moving to follow him.

Draco had felt the unreasoning urge to jump up and follow them out, but he had restrained himself and remained at the Slytherin table, where he had been forced to use every bit of his acting ability to play the part expected of him. He had played it flawlessly, laughing along with the jokes about what had likely been done to Harry even when the proposed scenarios of humiliation and abuse made Draco nauseous. It had been all he could do to stay long enough to seem as though he was leaving for his own reasons instead of fleeing his 'friends' and their casual cruelty.

Draco knew first-hand what sorts of things Death Eaters did when they tortured someone, with magic or not, and that Harry had been forbidden to use magic away from school until he was sixteen if he was living with Muggles. It was very easy for Draco to supply images of how Harry might have been treated by those Muggles to go with the laughing insinuations of his friends, and Draco had shocked himself with the depth of his reaction. Degradations he had seen his father visit upon Muggles since he was a small boy suddenly seemed much worse, the Muggle faces replaced in his memories by a face Draco had seen too often full of sullen anger, green eyes blazing even when Harry refused to fight back. It finally made sense that Harry could take so much physical abuse during a fight and just brush it off and keep going. His relatives had been pummeling him for most of his life, so Harry was used to pain.

When Draco finally left the Great Hall, he had been almost unable to make sense of his own feelings. He was angry and upset at memories of his own treatment at the hands of his father's friends, but he was disgusted with himself as well. He himself had been well on the way to being just the same sort of person as his father and Harry's great hulking brute of a cousin, and he had been proud of that fact until well after he should have been old enough to know better. He realized after a few minutes that his parents had raised him to be that way though, brainwashed him into thinking it was the only way to be, and that he really should be disgusted at them.

That had left only the anger, and Draco had to fight himself not to walk to the edge of the wards and Apparate to Little Whinging so he could go practice some of the Muggle torture techniques he'd known seemingly all of his life. Instead he had gone to an abandoned classroom and kicked apart two chairs, then systematically destroyed several desks with bursts of pure power. He was barely aware that his anger was as much because of his own memories of things done to him by those stronger than he was as what had been done to Harry. He was almost through repairing the furniture he damaged when he realized that he had handled the bottled up feelings so very much like a Gryffindor that Harry had likely done the same thing himself at some point in his life.

That he might be coming to think even a little bit like a Gryffindor was a scary thought, but the realization he seemed to care quite a lot about Harry completely overshadowed it. He was a Malfoy, heir to a family that had hated everything the Potters had believed in for as long as anyone could recall, and he thought he might be falling in love with the last of the Potters.

Draco had still been recovering from that realization when Ginny Weasley's tiny little owl had visited him later that same evening, sneaking right into his room by flying in over Vincent's head. The owl -- Draco thought its name was Piglet or something similarly asinine -- had ricocheted about the room for several minutes before dropping the note it carried into his lap and flying out the door again. He had retrieved the note hurriedly, hoping that Vincent didn't recognize the owl, and then made an excuse to be alone for a bit. He had felt such a rush of pleasure at opening the parchment to see Harry's easily recognizable scrawl that he had suddenly felt like a fool for trying so hard to stay away from him.

The interest he had seen in Harry's eyes that first night they met on the battlements made it plain that Harry just might want to test the waters too. There was really no reason for Draco to avoid him anymore, but here he was still letting everyone else's expectations run his life. Draco didn't _want_ to be the man they expected him to be anymore though, if he ever truly had. It had finally dawned on him as he read Harry's note that it was imbecilic to deny himself something that he wanted, especially since Harry seemed to want it too.

Draco knew he was quite a lot of things, whether he admitted any of them freely to anyone else or not, but he simply refused to be stupid. Harry had said in the note that he was waiting for Draco to make the next move and that he watched the moonrise every night if the weather permitted, and that he wished Draco would come talk to him sometime. Draco had spent another sleepless night thinking about the fact Harry was alone on the battlements and that he had admitted he was up there wishing for Draco's company.

Draco had done many things he was no longer proud of, mostly at his father's behest. If anyone but Harry had made the quiet declaration that none of it mattered anymore, he wouldn't have trusted it for a moment. Harry _had_ made that simple promise though, and Draco knew from years of exploiting it at every opportunity that Harry's greatest flaw was being _too_ honest. Draco could trust Harry's word more than he could trust anyone else he knew. Harry's promise that he would never pass on anything Draco told him might as well have been an oath under Veritaserum. Draco wanted, _needed_ _,_ someone he could trust to talk to, and Harry was waiting and willing to listen.

With Harry, Draco knew exactly where he stood and, once Harry untangled his thoughts and his tongue enough to make sense, he could trust that what Harry said was what he really meant. Harry wasn't afraid of him or his temper, which had admittedly gotten much easier to control as Draco began to realize how few things were truly worth fighting for. Draco had quite enjoyed the verbal sparring matches he and Harry had indulged in so many times over the last seven years, but the times they actually fought each other were no longer anything he remembered with any fondness.

If he were being exceedingly honest with himself, Draco acknowledged that he treasured the fact Harry knew him at his worst and still thought he was worth saving. He never would have admitted it aloud, even to Harry, but just knowing it made him feel better about himself.

Draco suddenly shook himself from his thoughts and made a decision, turning towards his door to head for the battlements. It was early yet, but he was sure that Harry would show up there sometime around moonrise, just as his note had promised. Harry always kept his promises, if he could, and Draco wanted to see him one last time.

 

 _~*~*~_ __

__I said, "Which way do I turn?_  
 _I forget everything I learn,"_  
 _But the spies came out of the water._  
 _And you're feeling so bad 'cause you know,_  
 _That the spies hide out in every corner,_  
 _But you can't touch them though,_  
 _'Cause they're all spies._ _

_~*~*~_

 

It was nearing curfew when something roused Draco from the nap he had been enjoying since dark. What had awakened him didn't really register until he heard his name being repeated. He jerked completely awake then, mentally kicking himself as he reached for his wand and twisted around to see who had spoken.

"Easy, Draco," Harry said hastily, "It's just me!"

Draco turned far enough to see it really was Harry before he relaxed, his eyebrows going up. Harry's rather large snowy owl was perched on his shoulder, looking intently at him while Harry stroked its feathers. "Sending someone a note?"

Harry blushed slightly and shook his head as he started walking towards Draco, the owl swaying slightly as he moved. She rode the motion calmly enough to make it obvious she was used to it, and Draco's estimation of her quality went up several notches. The Malfoy eagle owls were among the best of their kind and trained by a professional falconer, but as a rule they refused close contact with humans, preferring to do their job and return to the mews.

"No, I brought Hedwig along for company," Harry replied as he stopped next to Draco, lifting a hand to stroke Hedwig's feathers again. He wasn't sure what he would see on Draco's face if he looked at him, so he kept his gaze on the snowy owl. "We've both been lonely lately."

Draco thoughtfully watched Harry with the owl for several moments as Harry carefully avoided looking at him. He was wondering how Harry had missed the fact that owls were seldom treated as anything more important than the parchment they carried. Most who could afford an owl similar to Hedwig would have kept her safely mewed unless they needed her services. Draco didn't know a single person whose owl was anything more than a convenience to them, and one often taken for granted at that. He realized suddenly just how lonely Harry must be, to make him feel the need to look to an owl for friendship.

"I'm sorry," Draco blurted impulsively, "I should have come back up here before now."

Harry turned his head to stare at Draco, his green eyes wide with surprise. "Did you _really_ just apologize to me, or have I gone mental?"

Draco snorted softly, a slight smirk suddenly curving his lips. "You've _always_ been mental, Potter."

Harry grinned. "That's better. The Draco I know would _never_ apologize."

"Maybe you should meet the _real_ Drake then," Draco replied, his smirk fading as quickly as it had appeared. "You should do it soon if you really want to, I'll not be around much longer."

Harry's grin disappeared then and he tapped his owl's foot before giving a quick little flick of his fingers. Hedwig immediately took off from Harry's shoulder to fly off towards the lake. Draco watched her gliding effortlessly downward, thinking that her responsiveness could be bloody useful as he wondered how many signals the bird knew.

Harry sat down next to Draco then, distracting Draco from the bird as he asked with obvious concern, "Draco, what are you talking about?"

Draco shrugged, watching Harry's face a moment before turning away to look out at the lake and watch Hedwig soar until she was out of sight in the forest. "Just that my family has planned a singularly unpleasant fate for me." He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I don’t intend to wait around for it."

"Draco..." Harry didn't even think about it as he scooted a bit closer and put one hand on Draco's shoulder, frowning. "Tell me you're not planning anything drastic."

Draco laughed humorlessly, turning his head towards Harry and resting his cheek against one knee as he tried to ignore the slight thrill that had gone through him when Harry touched him. " _That_ depends on what you consider to be drastic, given my only other alternative."

"There are _always_ alternatives, no matter what anyone else might tell you," Harry replied quickly, his hand tightening on Draco's shoulder. "People have been telling me what my life was to be about for the last _seven years_ , telling me exactly what I should be doing and how I should do it. The times I've made _any_ progress at all, I've usually done it by _not_ listening to them."

Draco couldn't help but marvel a bit at the fact Harry seemed to be genuinely worried about him. "Has doing things your way been worth the losses, though?" Draco asked seriously. "Was losing your godfather worth keeping old slither-and-sneak from getting that prophesy?"

"'Old Slytherin sneak'?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Do you mean your father, or Voldemort?"

Draco snorted. "Voldemort. My father is nothing but his yappy lap dog." Draco paused slightly, then added, "And _you_ are avoiding the question, Harry."

"You called me 'Harry'," Harry half-asked, a sudden little smile lurking around the corners of his mouth.

"Still avoiding the question." Draco resisted the urge to smile back as Harry's hand started to slide lightly down his back, but he was unable to restrain the slight tremble that went through his wiry frame. "Was it worth it?"

"I didn't think so at the time," Harry replied honestly as his smile faded away, his hand sliding almost to Draco's waist before he moved it to rest on his own knee again. "After a while I started to see it differently though. I wish Sirius hadn't died -- he didn't have to -- but I can't find a way I would have changed things that would have been better. I mean, sure, it would have been better for _me_ if Sirius was still around, and for Remus, but then that prophesy would still have been out there. Voldemort would eventually have found a way to get to it and _then_ he would have had access to who knows how many other things in the Department of Mysteries, including quite a lot of very dangerous things I saw when I was there. That would have been a disaster for the whole Wizarding world, not just Remus and I. It had to be stopped, even though it cost us dearly."

Harry paused, thinking about whether or not to go on before he added, "We won a lot in the Department of Mysteries, even though I didn't recognize that then. Most of the prominent Death Eaters were captured and Voldemort's plans were ruined again. A lot of bad came of it too, but only for a few people; the good was more general." Harry shrugged a bit. "Besides, Sirius hated being locked up in that moldy old house. He wouldn't have wanted to live on like that, knowing the fight he died in could win the Light so much."

Draco was quiet for a while, marveling at Harry’s selflessness, and then finally murmured, "Isn't it hard to always put everyone else before yourself? I mean, sometimes, don't you just want to tell them all to stuff it, and then do what makes _you_ happy?"

Harry nodded as a tiny, wry smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, sometimes, especially when doing as I'm told gets someone I care about killed. I really _hate_ being the Brat Who Refuses to Die. Most of the time, I wish I were just a Weasley, or even a Creevey. _Anyone_ who didn't have to grow up with people who hated them just so they could be a little harder to find until they had to start risking their neck to try and kill some barmy old coot whose friends all have _serious_ delusions of grandeur."

Draco snickered at Harry's description of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. "Why is it we've never really talked before?"

"You didn't want to," Harry replied simply, looking into Draco's eyes. "You didn't like my choice of friends so you decided not to like me."

"And if I've changed my mind?" Draco asked softly, his expression a little wistful. "If I've realized that I've wanted to do more than talk to you for quite a while now?"

"I would have to ask why." Harry shifted to face Draco, sitting so closely that his knee was pressed against Draco's ankle. "You've either hated me or ignored me for nearly seven years."

"I was unutterably stupid," Draco replied with a slight smile. "It took me a _long_ time to figure out I was backing the wrong side."

"And now?" Harry had a hint of some emotion in his eyes that made them shine in the moonlight. "Who do you want to back now?"

"You," Draco replied simply, his smile widening just a bit as he thought that it would be very easy to lose himself in Harry's sparkling eyes. "You're going to win, Harry. You have something old slither-and-sneak just wishes he had... Loyal people who stand at your side because they _believe in you_ , not because they're _afraid_ of you." Draco's lips quirked into a self-depreciating smile. "I find myself believing in you too, despite everything I've ever been taught."

Harry quietly watched Draco for a little while, and then finally asked very softly, "Would you stand at my side, Drake?"

Draco's expression shifted into a sudden superior smirk that was so familiar Harry couldn't help but smile. "Malfoys never stay in the shadows, Harry, even when they should. We either stand tall in the front line and fight our way to victory or go down early to our own towering egos." Draco paused and then asked, "Would you really allow me to stand next to you, as an equal? Your friends probably wouldn't like that very much. I've been a right arse to all of them at one time or another."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Harry replied, trying not to laugh at the surge of elation he was feeling. "They'll adjust. I think they might even surprise you."

"Can I have your word on that?" Draco was suddenly serious again. "That you'll let me fight at your side, I mean."

"If you give me _your_ word that you won't do anything to hurt yourself."

Draco stared at Harry for a moment and then closed his eyes as he murmured, "You're asking me to give up my only way out, Harry."

"No, I'm not," Harry replied, lifting one hand to touch Draco's hair. Draco to opened his eyes again, looking into Harry's eyes as Harry slowly stroked Draco's hair back from his face and then let his hand fall away. "I'm asking you to promise me you'll let me find you a _better_ way out." Harry grinned suddenly. "I'm _good_ at finding ways to annoy Lucius Malfoy, you should know that by now."

Draco laughed despite himself, the first real amusement he had felt in a long while. "Alright, Harry," Draco said in an almost cheerful tone, "You've got my word I won't do myself in." Draco felt as though the coldness that had fallen over him when he decided he had no way out except suicide was melting away, leaving behind a lightness and freedom the like of which he hadn't felt in years. He didn't quite know how to handle that sudden feeling of freedom, or the fact that he was having a strong urge to lean over and kiss Harry, but he knew he liked it.

" _Or_ let anyone else kill you," Harry added, glad to see the hope shining bright in Draco’s eyes. "You've got to put up a real fight."

"I promise I won't lay down and die either," Draco said, his pale blue eyes softening as he smiled at Harry.

"And I promise to stand by you as an equal," Harry said with an answering smile. "No matter what _anyone_ says."

They just smiled at each other for a few moments until Draco finally broke the oddly comfortable silence. "So, what do we do now?"

"First," Harry replied as he jumped to his feet with a grin, "we go find Hermione and get her on our side. Ginny will be easy after that." Harry offered Draco his hand, green eyes sparkling. "Ginny'll go along with anything that will make me happy as long at Hermione's not having a fit over it."

Draco took Harry's offered hand with a bemused smile, letting Harry pull him to his feet. "And second?"

"The four of us will Floo to see Remus in the morning and tell him he's got to start working on Dumbledore. He'll either make him accept that you are one of us now, or the old busybody will find himself without anyone in the Order under thirty," Harry said, smirking.

Draco returned the smirk, his blue eyes twinkling as he looked down into Harry's eyes. "You, Mr. Potter, are just a bit evil I think."

"Yes, but I'm the _good_ kind of evil," Harry replied, tugging Draco's hand as he started towards the stairwell. Draco followed without argument, letting Harry hold his hand as they walked until Harry suddenly let go to shove his hand into the pocket of his robe. "I'm the sort of evil everyone should be occasionally."

"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to _me_ ," Draco said with a little grin as he walked along with Harry, wondering why he needed to dig in his pocket. Harry's arm disappeared almost to his elbow after a moment, even though the pocket seemed to be flat against Harry's leg, making Draco realize that the pocket was spelled to hold quite a lot more than one would think even a wizarding pocket could. "I quite _like_ a bit of the right kind of evil. It keeps things in perspective and makes life more interesting."

"Well, life around me is always that. Annoying, dangerous and just plain difficult too, occasionally even a bit fun, but _never_ less than interesting." Harry grinned suddenly and began to pull a rather large piece of shining silvery cloth from his pocket. He shook it out when he finally got the whole thing free of his pocket and then draped it over one arm to keep it from dragging the ground as he offered his invisibility cloak to Draco with a flourish. "Might I offer milord the most convenient way to get into the Gryffindor Prefects rooms?"

Draco couldn't help a soft laugh at Harry's cheerful antics even though he made no move to take the cloak. "You'd trust me with your _invisibility_ _cloak_?"

"Of course," Harry replied with an irrepressible grin, his green eyes bright with an emotion Draco couldn't quite pin down. "You gave me your word. I know you hardly ever _promise_ anything, but if you do it gets done. We may not have really spoken to each other in the last seven years, but I have paid attention. You were my favorite enemy, after all."

Draco still made no move to take the proffered garment. "I gave you my word I wouldn't _kill myself,_ Harry, not that I wouldn't steal your cloak."

"I think one's as good as the other. I've noticed that you're rather single-minded once you give someone your loyalty, whether they deserve it or not." Harry stepped towards Draco and flipped the quicksilver shimmer of fabric around the taller boy's shoulders with such practiced ease that it made Draco wonder who else Harry had put the cloak on. Harry grinned impishly up at Draco's apparently disembodied head and said, "Now just shut up, and follow me." Harry suddenly stretched up to kiss Draco's lips lightly and then flipped the cloak up to cover Draco's head too, making Draco's shocked expression disappear as Harry turned away and started down the stairs. "And try to walk quietly, being invisible does nothing for the noise you might make."

Draco stood still for a long moment, more than a little surprised at Harry's boldness, and then finally moved after Harry. He was smiling to himself as he walked down the stairway and wondering just how long he would be staying in the Gryffindor Prefect's quarters. He was actually looking forward to it, and Draco hadn't had much to look forward to in a long time.

 

 _~*~*~_ __

__And if we don't hide here,_  
 _They're going to find us._  
 _If we don't hide now,_  
 _They're going to catch us, where we see,_  
 _And if we don't hide here,_  
 _They're going to find us._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Harry had taken Draco with him when he went to rouse Hermione, who it seemed was sleeping in Ginny Weasley's bed these days. Draco had not expected _that_ , not as prudish as Hermione always seemed, but the lacy bits of clothing tossed about the room and the way the girls were cuddled up together naked as the day they were born made it obvious that it was _not_ just a friendly sleepover.

Harry had walked into what was obviously Ginny's room without knocking, which Draco felt was significant, especially when Ginny had awakened immediately and lit the lamp with a murmur, seeming not to mind Harry's presence even though she was naked. Ginny tried to shake Hermione awake as soon as she knew Harry needed to talk to her, but Hermione mumbled something about waiting until the morning that made Ginny giggle and repeat that _Harry_ wanted to talk to her. Hermione had finally opened her eyes a moment later, and it hadn't surprised Draco at _all_ that Hermione was a shrew when awakened in the middle of the night.

Draco _had_ been a bit surprised when he got a glimpse at what Hermione kept hidden under her school robes though. Hermione was actually a rather curvy girl, possibly even going so far as to be plump, with the sort of build boys would have been drooling over if it were anyone else. Since it _was_ undeniably Hermione, the few who noticed her curves knew that to say something would earn them a lecture or possibly even a hex. Hermione didn't take compliments well unless it had to do with schoolwork, and even then she'd likely just critique the work in question at some length.

Draco had spared a few lingering glances to try and see more of Hermione's curves and then occupied himself with admiring the rather leggy redhead she was sleeping with. He had never really given Ginny much thought beyond the fact she was rather laddish, but he was seeing the error of that now. She really was much more attractive than he had given her credit for being, and quite appealing to his admittedly limited tastes. Her skin was milky pale in most places with golden tanned bits that set off a consistent smattering of freckles and served to make the pale swaths of skin look even more pale. He found himself quite glad he was invisible, as he doubted he would have been allowed to see nearly as much as Ginny seemed willing to share with Harry.

Ginny had moved to sit up against the headboard once Hermione was well and truly awake, baring quite a lot of pale, freckled skin including both small breasts, all of one leg, and an enticing bit of ginger bush until Hermione insisted that she cover herself. Ginny had rolled her eyes and pulled the sheet up higher, but she wasn't at all careful about it and left the leg bare to well above the hip. Draco thought she had quite nice legs, muscular and tanned with a shimmer of pale ginger hair barely visible against her tan that made it obvious she didn't subscribe to the prevalent female custom of using a depilatory. Draco had always confined himself to just looking at girls and didn't really care if Ginny had a bit of fuzz on her legs, but he did file away that bit of information. He had a feeling that it said something important about her, though he had no clue what that might be.

Ginny obviously had no qualms about Harry being in the room with her and her girlfriend in the middle of the night, even with them both wearing only a sheet, and that made Draco wonder. He had the distinct impression Ginny wouldn't have minded if Harry saw them completely naked, and that Harry wouldn't even have even blushed if he had. He couldn't quite pin down what gave him that impression, but it was more than the fact that Harry seemed not even to _notice_ the lack of clothing. Draco might have had a few doubts that Harry was completely queer before, but after seeing his lack of reaction to two naked girls he didn't wonder any longer.

Harry had needed several minutes of patient arguing to convince Hermione he really did need her to come with him. Ginny had watched the discussion with interest, occasionally snickering at Hermione's grumpy attitude but otherwise keeping out of it by pretending wide-eyed innocence whenever anyone looked at her. Draco's respect for Ginny and interest in her as something other than a Weasley had both increased by the time Hermione was convinced Harry needed to speak to her in his room. Ginny seemed to be quite a lot smarter than he'd ever given her credit for being, and she had a good sense of humor as well, snickering in the places Draco would have if he hadn't been trying so hard not to be noticed.

Hermione hadn’t been very happy about leaving the bed, but she had finally accepted the robe Harry offered her and gotten up, giving Draco a glimpse of a lovely round arse before Hermione could get the robe on properly to follow Harry down the hall. She had grumbled all the way about Harry's midnight roamings and how unfair it was to make her leave her nice warm bed just to talk to him when he could bloody-well talk while she was in her bed. Draco had to work hard to restrain his laughter at that, thinking that _only_ Hermione would have complained about leaving the bed instead of complaining she'd had to leave a pretty, naked girl.

As soon as the three of them were in Harry's room, Harry had warded the door for privacy and then Draco had shrugged out of the cloak to hang it on a hook by the door. Hermione panicked when Draco appeared, yelling for Harry to watch out as she dove out of the way and hit her head on the footboard of Harry's bed. Harry had just stared at her like she was insane for a few moments while Draco tried not to snicker, then Harry had asked her to please stop acting like a psycho because he _wanted_ Draco in his room.

Hermione had been quite cross at that and glared at Harry as she climbed up off of the floor, muttering about how lucky he was that she didn't have her wand. She had seated herself primly on the edge of the bed, allowing Harry to cast a healing charm on her and then insisting on an explanation. By the time Harry finished talking she had already stood again and begun to pace the room, obviously still quite agitated and rubbing at her temples as she moved, keeping her eyes mostly closed.

Her expression made Draco think she probably had a killer of a headache. Considering the size of the bump on her forehead and the fact the minor healing charm didn't seem to affect it, Draco thought she was lucky to have just a headache. He had considered offering to retrieve her a healing draught, but when he had opened his mouth he got a death glare from Hermione. He had shown her his empty hands and then given her his most charming smile as he sat down astride Harry's desk chair, folding his arms on the back. He had held his peace after that, watching Hermione pace back and forth in her rather frumpy robe with more than a little interest. He was finding it quite educational to watch the 'untouchable' Gryffindors from the inside as it were, and wondered if she was acting different from the way she would have if he were not there.

"Alright, Harry," Hermione said finally without pausing in her pacing, "let me get this _perfectly_ straight. You want to trust Malfoy, even though he has _always_ been a prat to us, just because he gave you his _word_. You intend to _protect him_ from his father and _all the rest_ of the Death Eaters, and if Dumbledore does not cooperate, you're going to ask the entire D.A. -- current _and_ past members! -- to go _against the Order_ and fight Voldemort without them. Did I _miss_ anything?"

Harry was sitting at the head of his bed, grinning and trying very hard not to laugh at Hermione's theatrics. "I also have definite designs on Drake's virtue. Or his body at any rate, since I doubt either of us has any _virtue_ left."

Hermione stopped pacing to give Harry a dirty look, ignoring Draco's snicker. "I was forgetting that part on _purpose_ , Harry! I'd _much_ rather not have to think about you shagging _anyone_ , least of all _him_."

"Then yes, you've got the gist of it," Harry said as he grinned impishly at Hermione. "I came to you first because I may need help convincing Remus. He can inform Dumbledore that I want this, and that it's not negotiable."

Hermione looked at Harry as though he had sprouted antlers. "Harry, you _do_ realize you've gone _completely_ mental, right?"

Draco laughed, unable to resist saying, "He was _always_ mental, Granger. You just didn't notice."

Hermione turned her head and gave Draco a scathing look that quite plainly told him she didn't want his opinion. Draco grinned disarmingly at her and raised his hands again, making her sniff and then turn her attention back to Harry. She stood there staring at him for over a minute before she suddenly moved to sit on the bed next to him, looking frazzled. "He _hates_ us, Harry. His father wants us _dead_ , _and_ he's Voldemort's right-hand man. How do I know he hasn't cast Imperius or something even _worse_ on you?"

Harry spread his arms, giving Hermione an undaunted smile. "Spell scan me 'til your heart's content. You'll not find anything, I promise. Draco hasn't attempted _in any way_ to force me to help him. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm pretty sure he wasn't intending to _let_ me help him until I insisted."

"That doesn't mean _anything_ ," Hermione said impatiently. "He might have been taught some Dark spell I don't know that's made you _think_ he's sincere."

Draco stood up suddenly and walked over towards the bed. "Here."

"What?" Hermione asked, watching him distrustfully until he drew his wand.

Hermione shrank back away from Draco then but he deftly flipped his expensive-looking black wand and offered her the handle with a little half-bow and a smile. "Take this, and do Priori Incantatum on it. You will find the last spell I did was a transfiguration a few hours ago. One of the sixth year Slytherin girls tried to talk her way out of detention for, uh … _servicing_ a Hufflepuff boy in an alcove near the Astronomy tower. I turned her mouth into an extra ear." Draco smirked. "Most everything before that was either a spell done in class or an annoyance to students I caught out and about after curfew."

Harry laughed. "That's a good one, I'll have to remember it."

Draco grinned at Harry. "Thank you."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, looking incensed even as she took Draco's wand rather more abruptly than was necessary. "That's _cruel_ _!"_

Draco chuckled as Harry grinned unrepentantly at Hermione. "Not if you cast it on a sixth or seventh year, they should know how to fix it."

"Fourth and fifth years should know how to reverse such a simple spell as well," Hermione replied in an almost lecturing tone. She inspected Draco's wand a moment and then seemed to think of something, looking up to give Harry a dirty look. "But that _doesn't_ mean I'm encouraging you to hex them!"

"Of course not," Harry agreed, grinning. "You'd never do _that_ , I know."

Hermione gave him another dirty look, and then held out her hand. "Wand." Draco's eyebrows went up at that abrupt order, wondering why she would need to compare the two, but Harry didn't hesitate to hand his rather worn-looking wand over to Hermione. She immediately pointed it at Draco's wand and said clearly, " _Priori Incantato_."

Draco's wand rapidly began to spit out small shadows of simple spells, hexes, or minor transfiguration charms that would be very effective at making people avoid the seventh year Slytherin Prefect.

"How the bloody hell did you do _that_?!" Draco exclaimed. "I thought wands were specific to their owners!"

Hermione gave Draco a superior little smirk and then went back to watching the spells his wand was spitting out as she said calmly, "Quite a lot of people believe that." Hermione was surprised to see that none of the spells so far were really harmful to anyone, but she tried not to show it as she went on. "Neville proved it wrong by using my wand after his was broken in the-- well, after his was broken. I thought that if _Neville_ could do it, any of us should be able to. We tested it amongst our friends and discovered that more than half of us can use other people's wands."

Hermione paused, frowning as a sickly green form began to emerge from Draco's wand, but when it took the shape of a nasty looking spider bigger than her hand the frown cleared away. "It works best if you borrow the wand of someone you're close to emotionally, though I've not yet figured out why. I can _always_ use Harry and Ginny's wands just like I'd use my own, but a spell may not work quite as it should if I borrow someone else's. If they're from another House, especially Hufflepuff or Slytherin, it often won't work at all."

"Why didn't you share it with the rest of the school?" Draco asked as he watched Hermione finally delete the spell ghosts floating around the room, wondering how she got her hands on a Slytherin's wand. She returned Harry's wand then, but Draco was completely unsurprised that she didn't return his as well. He knew she was too intelligent to blindly trust a former enemy and expected to have to earn it somehow.

Hermione looked up at Draco as she crossed her legs primly and rested her hands on one knee. She began lightly tapping his wand against her bare, shapely shin a moment later, trying to decide how much was safe to tell him. "A lot of reasons, really," she said eventually, "but foremost because we really don't share _any_ of our discoveries with anyone except Remus. He decides what must be passed on and what is safe to keep just amongst ourselves. Ours is a stand-alone study group that concentrates on Defense."

"And you lead it I suppose?" Draco moved to get Harry's desk chair, dragging it a bit closer to the bed and then straddling it backwards again, facing Hermione and looking interested. "You're _definitely_ the smartest in our year. Well, except possibly Morag, but she never takes her nose out of her Arithmancy book long enough to prove it."

Hermione tried hard not to show how much she enjoyed hearing Draco say she was the smartest in their year as she replied disdainfully, "Of _course_ I don't run it. _Nobody_ would want to join a study group with _me_ in charge; I'm too boringly _bookish_. No, Harry's in charge and I and a few others help him develop new spells or techniques before we introduce them to the group."

Draco's eyebrows went up and he looked at Harry, who shrugged, smiling. "Wasn't my idea. Hermione roped me into it a few years ago." Hermione sniffed again at that and Harry grinned at her before he looked back at Draco. "I do enjoy it, though. It's a _lot_ more interesting learning and teaching new things than it is doing real schoolwork."

Draco laughed, the sudden sparkle of amusement in his eyes surprising Hermione as she realized she hadn't ever seen Draco look so relaxed. "Doing your own thing is _always_ more fun, Harry," Draco said with an impish grin that made him look a few years younger and quite a bit more approachable. "You should know that by now."

Hermione looked from Harry to Draco and back again, finally registering the way they were looking at each other, and then made a decision and stood up. "I'll do what I can to help, Harry. I certainly hope you know what you're doing, trusting a Malfoy."

"You just trust _me_ _,_ Hermione," Harry replied with a smile. "I'll worry about Drake, okay?"

Hermione nodded, wondering how long Harry had been considering this. If Draco truly were on their side, it would be a definite boon for the Light. If he was not, then Harry was setting them up to fail rather spectacularly the first time they relied on Draco's aid. She trusted Harry with her life though, and with everyone else's lives, and she knew he took that burden very seriously. "Alright, Harry." She walked towards the door, still carrying Draco's wand, then when she reached Harry's desk she suddenly whirled to face Draco again. "If you hurt him, I'll see to it myself that you _don't_ sire an heir."

Draco's eyebrows went up, a little grin taking the sting out of his words as he replied, "Just a _mite_ overprotective there, aren't you, Granger? Harry's a grown man, I'm sure he can make his own decisions and castrate his own blokes, if he thinks they deserve it."

"Just remember what I said," Hermione replied firmly, ignoring Harry's snickering. She turned back towards the door as she tossed Draco's wand onto Harry's desk, not quite able to make herself give Draco a wand. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so I'll Floo over to talk to Remus in person after breakfast. I'm sure he'd like the company anyway, staying in that musty mausoleum."

"Thanks," Harry said quickly, grinning at Hermione's retreating back. "Make sure I'm up, please. I'd like to go along."

"Of course," Hermione replied as she opened the door. "I'll wake you in time for breakfast."

"Thanks," Harry repeated. "I _really_ appreciate your help, Hermione."

"You're quite welcome, Harry, but you never have to thank me." Hermione gave Harry a quick smile. "You know I'll stand with you no matter what hare-brained idea you've gotten into your head." She grinned and left before Harry could reply, closing the door behind her.

Harry turned his attention back to Draco as soon as she was gone, and they just looked at each other for several minutes. Harry was the first to speak when he finally asked, "Would you like to stay here tonight?"

Draco grinned wickedly at Harry, standing up and moving over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him as Harry leaned back against his pillows. "I think that it would be _very_ safe to say I want to stay with you."

Draco leaned to kiss Harry, licking at his lips almost immediately to see how he would react to it. Harry let out a low pleased sound and lifted one hand to slide his fingers into Draco's soft blond hair. He pulled Draco closer to deepen the kiss then, opening his mouth to lick delicately at the tip of Draco's tongue. Draco growled softly and thrust his tongue into Harry's mouth, completely taking over the kiss and then almost roughly plundering Harry's mouth as Harry moaned and went boneless under him. Draco was a little surprised by how completely Harry submitted to the kiss but he didn't hesitate to explore Harry's mouth thoroughly.

They had been kissing for what seemed like hours before Draco finally realized that Harry was making soft little hungry whimpering noises. Draco pulled away to look down at Harry, unable to help a smug little smirk at what he saw. Harry's lips were wet and slightly swollen from kissing and his eyes were closed, his breathing irregular as he tried to get control of himself.

Draco leaned to lick again at Harry's reddened lips before he gave him a slow, lingering kiss and then pulled away just enough to whisper, "Good night, Harry."

Harry opened his eyes at that, blinking and trying to clear away the desire that so visibly clouded his thoughts. "Huh?"

"So eloquent." Draco's smirk widened, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I said _good night_ , Harry." Draco pulled away from Harry and then stood to go, adjusting himself as he moved towards the door.

Harry sat up, obviously confused. "But... I thought you were going to _stay_."

"I'd like to." Draco picked his wand up off of Harry's desk and tucked it into his pocket as he looked back towards the bed. He paused, again taking in the way Harry looked with his lips puffy and reddened, his cheeks flushed and his green eyes bright with desire. "But, I shouldn't," he finished finally, licking his lips as he watched Harry move one hand to the obvious erection tenting the front of his loose trousers.

Harry watched Draco's face as he rubbed at the bulge slowly, his tone almost petulant as he said, " _I_ want you to _stay_."

Draco groaned, tearing his gaze away from Harry's crotch to look into his eyes. "Harry, I'm _trying_ to do the right bloody thing here. You're _not_ making it very easy for me."

"Forget doing the _right_ thing," Harry answered quickly, shifting to brace one foot against the bed to better display his crotch, his hand still slowly stroking. "Stay with me tonight, Drake."

Draco looked sorely tempted for a long moment and then shook his head, turning back towards the door. "No, Harry, I can't. I'm only going to get one chance with you, and I _don't_ want to screw it up before we even begin. I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry sighed and abandoned what he was sure had been a clumsy seduction attempt, flopping back onto his bed in defeat and looking up at the ceiling. "Then at least take my cloak, Drake, you're likely to need it. Snape loves to catch people this time of night as they head back to their own dorms after a shag."

Draco stopped at the door, looking at where the cloak hung next to it and then turning back towards the bed. "Are you sure, Harry?"

"Definitely," Harry replied, propping himself up on one elbow again to look at Draco. "I'll feel better knowing you have it if you need it." Draco hesitated a moment longer and then reached for the cloak as Harry added, "And in case you missed it before, the password to the Fat Lady is rutabaga. You're welcome here any time you need to get away."

Draco faced Harry again as he swung the cloak around his shoulders, an odd expression on his face. "Thank you, Harry. I'm going to do my best to be sure you won't regret your faith in me. Wizard's honor."

Harry smiled, his green eyes still brighter than normal. "And I promise you the same thing, Drake. Be careful, I don't want you getting yourself killed now that you've _finally_ stopped being such a prat."

Draco laughed and opened the door, nothing visible of his body except his head. "I'll try to stay alive for you."

Harry grinned, liking the way that sounded. "You'd better." He watched as Draco started to pull the cloak up over his head, then added impulsively, "I'll be thinking about you."

Draco smiled at him a moment, then lifted the edge of the cloak to cover his head. "I've no doubt I'll be thinking about you as well, Harry. Sleep well."

"You too," Harry replied softly. He felt Draco pass through the wards and watched the door close before he let himself flop back onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling again as he murmured softly, "If anyone's up there listening, take care of him for me. I _really_ want this."

Harry lay there silently for a few more minutes before he suddenly rolled out of bed. He stripped efficiently and then walked towards his tiny bathing room, wondering what would happen when the rest of the students found out Draco had finally slipped his father's leash. The whole school _would_ find out, that was inevitable, Harry just hoped that they could keep things relatively normal until after the N.E.W.T.s.

The exams were to begin three weeks from Monday and, depending on the schedules, finish up by that Wednesday. After he completed his N.E.W.T.s Draco could either disappear into a safe house or one of the guest chambers at Hogwarts and not have to worry any longer about school, but he truly needed to stay in classes until then. That would likely become very difficult after Draco didn't go home for his birthday, but Harry intended to see that Draco was safe even if it meant missing every one of his own classes.

 

 


	2. Trouble

 

 _~*~*~_ __

__Oh no, I see,_  
 _I spun a web, it's tangled up with me._  
 _And I lost my head,_  
 _Thought of all the stupid things I said._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco was awakened by someone banging on his door. He shifted to lift one hand to rub his eyes and then blinked blearily as he slid his hand under his pillow to hold his wand, calling out, "Who is it?"

"Goyle," a familiar deep voice replied. "You got an owl."

Draco groaned and hid his face against his pillow. He had _already_ had enough bad news for this weekend, really he had. He lay there for a moment and then lifted his head again with a sigh, rolling over to lie on his side as he pulled his wand out from under his pillow. Dragging his feet wouldn't change anything, so there was really no reason to make Greg wait. He pointed his wand at the door, muttering the unlocking charm before he called out with obvious reluctance, "Come in, Greg."

Greg opened the door and looked around it warily, then crossed the room to offer Draco a small scrap of folded paper. It had the words 'Deliver to Draco Malfoy, urgent!' scribbled on the outside, and had been sealed with green wax and an unfamiliar seal that looked as though it might be a stylized dragon. "I didn't recognize the barn owl, but it looked like it had flown a long way. I thought this was probably pretty important."

"Thanks Greg," Draco replied as he took the note and then he yawned and looked up. "What time is it?"

"Around seven-fifteen," Greg replied. "Vince and I were on our way to breakfast when the owl came in."

"Why don't you go ahead and go, then?" Draco sat up, scratching his belly and oblivious to the fact that the sheet was barely covering his crotch. Greg had seen it all anyway and wasn't the least bit interested. Draco was too pretty to suit him, which was perfectly fine with Draco. "I'll be up in a little while, unless this note says I have to go somewhere."

"Sure." Greg nodded, turning away to walk back to the open door, where he paused to look back at Draco. "You let me and Vince know if you need us, okay?"

Draco nodded, not really paying attention to Greg as he looked at the odd little seal on the note and tried to remember where he had seen it before.

Greg watched him look at it a moment and then added more sharply, "Drake, _listen_ to me." Draco looked up, surprised by the tone, and then Greg said firmly, "You let us know if you need us, for _anything_. You've stood by us and we're not going to forget it, no matter what."

"What are you on about, Greg?" Draco kept his expression carefully unconcerned even as his mind raced, trying to figure out exactly what Greg knew or had guessed and how many others might have made the same guess. If it was common knowledge that he didn't intend to join Voldemort, he was in very deep trouble.

Greg stepped back into the room and closed the door, then did a quick silencing charm. "I'm talking about how your father expects you to spend your birthday. We're both supposed to be there for the same reason, and so is Blaise. I don't know about the others for sure, but several of them have been making noises about 'joining the ranks' so they just might be planning to go too."

Draco lifted his wand again and reinforced the silencing charm to be extra sure nobody could listen in to what they were saying. He looked at Greg again then, his expression serious and guarded. "Greg, are you trying to say you don't want to go?"

"I'm saying Vince and I have got your back, no matter what you decide to do," Greg replied immediately. "We trust you not to lead us wrong."

"What about Blaise?" Draco asked after a long moment of silence. He had been searching Greg's expression for some hint that he might not be telling the absolute truth, but he found nothing other than Greg's usual blunt sincerity.

"Blaise could go either way." Greg shifted uncomfortably. "He likes you but I'm not sure if he'd go against what he's been told to do. He trusts his father _and_ yours, so I think he'll do as he's told even though he doesn't really like the idea of being Marked."

Draco gazed thoughtfully down at the note for a moment and then looked up at Greg again. "Are you and Vince sure about this, Greg? You could both get killed if you stick with me."

"We'd _definitely_ both get killed if we sign on with old lizard lips," Greg replied, making Draco laugh. "We'd probably be told to kill you first thing, and he would sic his cronies on us both when we refused to do it."

"You two have really thought about this, then," Draco half-asked, surprised. It seemed he had two more real friends than he had thought he did, and the two people he most often took for granted at that. He could hardly remember a time when he hadn't had his 'cousins' following him around. They had been set to protecting him because Narcissa worried so much over the fact he was 'delicate' as a baby and wanted to be sure someone kept him safe even when he was playing. Draco had actually had bodyguards before he knew what they were, but he had never had a problem making use of them, often to bully the bigger children until he grew up to be one of the 'big' children himself, in power and height if not in size.

"Yeah Drake, we have," Greg replied with a grin, bringing Draco out of his thoughts. "We play the part of your gorilla bodyguards, but we both really _can_ string together a whole sentence."

Draco laughed. "I know you can, Greg, I just forget sometimes. The memory of tutoring Vince in Transfiguration quite overpowers the fact that he tutored me through Arithmancy."

"Merlin knows I love him, but he's very nearly hopeless with anything that doesn't involve numbers," Greg agreed, chuckling. "And he's waiting in the common room, so I should go and let you read your letter. Remember what I said though, okay boss?"

"You know I _hate_ it when you call me that," Draco said, wrinkling his nose. "But go, get some breakfast. I'll be along." He remembered then that Harry was going to see Professor Lupin that morning and added, "Unless I have to go somewhere. I might, if this note is what I think it is."

Greg nodded and turned towards the door again. "See you." He stepped outside, pulling the door almost closed behind him before he leaned just his head into the room to smirk at Draco as he added, "Boss."

Draco laughed and pointed his wand at the door in mock threat. "Out!"

Greg closed the door quickly and then Draco gazed down at the note again, scrutinizing the odd sigil. He thought the symbol was some sort of bird after closer inspection, not a dragon, but he still couldn't recall where he might have seen it before. He performed a comprehensive revealing charm on it to be sure there wasn't a trap spell built into the seal, but there was nothing there other than a simple ward so that only he could break the seal. He dropped his wand on his pillow and opened the folded scrap of parchment, laughing softly as he began to read it.

 

~~~

 

 _Duck--_ _  
Come with me this morning, please? Once everyone calms down I think you'll get on fine, and then our resident expert on everything won't have to try so hard to convince people of something our expert doesn't quite believe yet themselves. Of course, the vaunted expert doesn't truly believe anything that hasn't been written in at least two books, preferably four. Bit of a handicap, that, but dead useful sometimes, too._

_Anyway, if you come along I thought we could take the afternoon to do something fun, far away from moldy old castles. I promise to get you back into your dungeon by curfew so you'll not turn into a pumpkin._

_That is, if you want to go back. I happen to know somewhere else you'd be very welcome, if you like._

_Bucket_

_p.s. -- If you're coming along, come to my room. I'll be there until nine. Oh, and do you like Muggle music? If so, dress as Muggle as you can. We might go to a club a pair of friends invited me to. They've been after me to go for months, and I think it could be fun to go together._

 

~~~

 

Draco chuckled and read it again, thinking that 'duck' was a rather obvious mutation of 'Drake' but wondering how in the world Harry had gotten 'bucket' out of his own name. Of course, he didn't know of any nicknames Harry might have other than the ones he had given to him, and somehow he didn't think 'Bucket' had anything to do with Potty or Scarface. After thinking about it for another minute he dismissed it, deciding that the easiest thing to do would be to just ask Harry.

He dropped the note next to his wand and slid out from under the blankets, completely baring his lithe, graceful body as he stretched. He had often been accused of being an exhibitionist, but he was simply at ease with his own body and preferred to go naked whenever he was alone in his room. That occasionally bled over into times when he was not alone if people came to his room unexpectedly, but he didn't think that was anyone's fault but the one who had bothered him.

Draco let out a slow yawn that turned into a groan as his back popped, then let his hands fall to his sides and rolled his neck to stretch a slight kink out of it as he walked over to his wardrobe. He opened it and started looking for clothes for the day, flipping past his school things to the meager selection of Muggle clothes he had built up over the last few years. His father didn't approve of wearing Muggle clothing for any reason so Draco had to hide what little he had very carefully when he went home, both from his father and from the house elves.

Draco pulled the plain grey t-shirt he wanted to wear from the wardrobe, tugging it on quickly before he reached into the wardrobe again to get his black denim shirt to wear with it. He shrugged into the denim as he moved over to his dresser and then opened a drawer to get out a pair of boxers and some socks. He put the underpants on and then bent to dig through a drawer full of school trousers, standing up after a moment with his only pair of black button-fly jeans. He quickly stepped into them and then tucked the pair of socks under one arm before he walked back over towards the bed, buttoning his jeans as he went.

He paused next to the bed, looking around the room as he tried to remember where he had left his boots. After a moment, he decided they were most likely under the bed. He dropped the socks next to his wand and the note and knelt on the floor, flipping the covers out of his way and grinning when he spotted his Doc Marten boots under the bed. He leaned to grab them and then moved to sit on the bed to put his shoes and socks on. He had found the boots in the window of a little shop in London last summer and hadn't been able to resist buying them. They might not be as perfectly comfortable as Wizarding boots were with their sizing and cushioning charms, but Draco still preferred them. The solid noise they made as he walked was satisfying, and he quite liked the way they looked.

A few minutes later Draco grabbed his wand and stood, stomping into his boots to be sure they were laced tightly enough before he moved over to the mirror. He quickly combed his hair, not bothering with a holding charm, and then moved to his desk. He muttered a spell to dissipate the ward on the bottom drawer and then opened it to take out Harry's cloak. He shook the cloak out and pulled it around his shoulders before he closed the desk, his eyes falling on the dirk, scabbard, and bloodied handkerchief still there from the night before. He stared at them a moment and then picked the dagger and handkerchief up, brushing the dried blood off the tip of the blade. He threw the handkerchief into the small dustbin by the desk and then slid the dagger into its scabbard, hesitating a moment before he laid it back on the desk.

Draco turned away then, sobered a bit but definitely still looking forward to the day as he remembered the note he had left on the bed and went to get it. He tucked it into his pocket and then moved over to the door, pausing there to cast a silencing charm on himself and pull the cloak over his head. He listened closely to see if there was anyone out in the hall before he eased his door open and then slipped out. He walked down the short hallway to the common room and then past a handful of students in various states of alertness that were sitting around waiting to go to breakfast with their friends.

Several others were on their way towards the door, and Draco had no problem falling in behind a first year and following her out of the common room.

 

_~*~*~_

Oh no, what's this? _  
_A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle._  
 _I turned to run,_  
 _I thought of all the stupid things I've done..._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco walked quickly through the school, concentrating on dodging the Gryffindors pouring down the stairs. He was so intent on not being bowled over by Seamus Finnegan and Colin Creevey that he missed the shocked look directed at his back after he passed Dumbledore near the second floor landing. If he had noticed he would have been worried, but Draco remained completely oblivious as Dumbledore stepped further out onto the stairs and watched him until he was out of sight.

Draco reached the Fat Lady's portrait without anyone else noticing him and slipped into the common room just after Lavendar and Parvati walked out. They were chattering loudly to each other about a séance they were to attend that afternoon, singing the praises of Trelawney and making Draco snicker silently as he wondered how often they needed to refresh the air in their heads.

Draco had to be careful to get through the crowd of students in the Gryffindor common room without being run over. He had no idea why so many of them were up early on a Sunday, but he thought fully half the House was in the common room. He headed down the hallway that led to Harry's room, and was surprised to see the doors to most of the Prefects' rooms were open. The Slytherin Prefects seldom left their doors open, and when they did no one would have dared to wander in because of the nasty wards some of them used. That was obviously not the case amongst the Gryffindors.

Draco saw a dozen younger students in the first open room he came to and paused next to the door, watching curiously. The group of students seemed to be made up completely of first years, other than the lone Prefect in the room, Dean Thomas. The younger students were talking animatedly to Dean and handing him slips of paper and various coins, confusing Draco for a moment until one of the first years finally said something that made sense. Evidently, Dean was running errands for the younger students, and the pieces of paper were lists of things they wanted him to get for them.

Dean let them all hand him their money and scraps of paper, checking to be sure each scrap of paper matched up with the amount of money noted on it, then asked if they had all remembered the deal included a ten percent tip for him. One of the smallest first years piped up then, telling Dean that it was robbery for them each to have to pay him ten percent to do their shopping. Dean just smirked at the younger boy and offered him a slip of paper and a few coins, making the boy glare at him and say it was 'bloody low' to tell all of the other seventh year students not to go buy things for them. Dean responded that it was just smart business and then one of the others shoved the little boy who had spoken and told him to shut up because Dean charged half what Colin did and he'd hike the price if they weren't careful.

Draco laughed silently to himself as he started towards Harry's room again, shaking his head slightly. He wondered why the Slytherin Prefects had never thought of scamming the students who couldn't leave the castle grounds yet. It looked as though it made good money, and there was no doubt in his mind that the first and second years would pay someone to get what they wanted. Having things owled from home was always an option of course, but parents were unlikely to approve of most of the contents of Zonko's and waiting for owl post was an unnecessary ordeal when seventh years could just make a trip to town.

Harry's door was open as well when Draco reached it and he stopped just outside the doorway, surprised at what he saw. Harry was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, sprawled on his stomach on the bed with a book open in front of him. Ginny was lying draped across his back with her arms around Harry and her chin resting on his shoulder. She was wearing jeans and a pale green halter-top that showed off her freckled shoulders quite well, smirking as she murmured something into Harry's ear. Harry's cheeks each had a spot of bright color in them as he resolutely stared down at the book, the little grin on his face the only thing giving away the fact he might be listening to her.

They seemed comfortable together, much more so than Draco would have been with a girl draped all over him. The look in Ginny's eyes made Draco think that she felt a lot more than friendship towards Harry, which was at odds with what he had seen from them the night before. Draco had been sure then that Harry was queer, but seeing him with Ginny again made Draco wonder, especially since he knew how close Harry was with all of the Weasleys. The rumors about Harry and Ginny being involved suddenly seemed like they might have a bit of credence to them after all, though Draco could hardly imagine a prude like Hermione being involved in a threesome. Of course, until the night before he hadn't been able to imagine her with _anyone_ , so he was obviously no expert on what Hermione might or might not approve of.

Draco heard a slight noise and moved closer to the door to see that Hermione was also in the room, sitting at Harry's desk by the door. She had her back to the bed, slowly flipping through a notebook as she scanned down each page looking for something. She didn't bother to look up as she said abruptly, "Harry, are you _sure_ that we studied the antidote for the Polyjuice Potion at the end of last term? I _don't_ remember making it."

"Yes," Harry replied as he glanced up from his book, looking relieved when Ginny stopped whispering. "I just revised that lesson, I know it's there. We both missed the class and never did the practical, that's why you don't remember it. I copied my notes from Dean. He got an Exemplary on that potion, so they should be up to your standards."

Hermione twisted around to look at Harry then, and her cheeks flushed as she saw the way Ginny was draped over Harry's back. "Ginevra Molly Weasley! Get off of him this _instant_!"

Draco snickered silently to himself at Ginny's full name, thinking that he knew Hermione better than he had thought. Obviously, Hermione didn't approve of the way Ginny seemed to be flirting with her 'brother'.

Ginny just grinned at Hermione and didn't make any attempt to get off of Harry's back, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why? It's not like Harry'll make an attempt on my virtue, and I'm comfy. He's all warm and solid, but he's cuddly too and _he_ doesn't mind me using him for a pillow while he reads."

Harry looked wryly amused and murmured, "I don't recall anyone asking me."

The girls both ignored Harry as Draco laughed silently and stepped into the room. "I'm not worried about your _virtue_ and you know it, Ginny," Hermione said quickly, so intent on frowning at Ginny that she missed the sudden hopeful look Harry directed at the doorway.

Draco's eyes widened and he wondered if Harry's glasses were charmed to see through invisibility cloaks. He had heard that could be done, and that Dumbledore in particular could see through cloaks and most invisibility spells, but he had thought it to be a very difficult spell. He lifted one hand and waved to see if Harry would respond, but Harry showed no reaction. Draco decided then that there must be a ward on the door to alert Harry when anyone entered his room and made a mental note to make sure of it later. That would be a very useful ward to learn, if that was the case.

Draco turned his attention back to the girls when Hermione went on, "I'm worried about your _reputation_ , and his. It's unseemly, especially while the door is open."

Harry turned his head to look at Ginny then, giving her a little grin. "Humor her, Gin. It's time you two should head to breakfast anyway. You can use me as a pillow later."

Draco moved to stand near the foot of the bed as Ginny brightened and rolled off Harry's back, jumping to her feet. Ginny grinned at Hermione with obvious enthusiasm and said, "Oh yes, let's! I'm _starving_."

Draco normally was not very interested in girls, but even he liked the way Ginny's rather short red hair and tall androgynous body combined with her long, muscular denim-clad legs. He noticed as she moved towards Hermione that she had a shapely arse as well, and he took a lingering second look as he muttered silently to himself, "Damned shame she's a girl." He appreciated the attractions of a pretty woman, but he had never been able to abide actually getting close to them. He had attempted sex with a girl only once, and gave it up as a bad job afterwards because of all the drama. He was perfectly happy to look at lovely ladies from afar and stick to shagging blokes. It made his life much simpler.

Hermione gave Ginny a look that made it plain she was about to lecture her girlfriend, but Harry rolled over to sit up and interjected quickly, "Go ahead, Hermione. I'll find the right notes for you while you're gone. That way we'll be ready to go that much sooner."

Hermione gave Harry a suspicious look as she stood up. "Why are you so eager to be _rid_ of us all of a sudden?"

Harry's green eyes widened as he gasped in feigned shock and dramatically put a hand to his chest. "I'm _wounded!_ As if _I_ would try to get rid of my _two_ _best friends_ in the _whole entire world_..."

Ginny giggled, grabbing Hermione's hand and tugging her towards the door. "He's _probably_ hoping we'll go away and let him wank in peace. Boys do that constantly you know, especially when they've not got a steady."

Draco snickered silently as Hermione's face turned bright red and Harry hotly denied, "I do _not_!" Draco noticed that Harry didn't blush and smirked, wondering how hard it was to really embarrass him.

Ginny stopped at the door, grinning wickedly at Harry. "Oh, you want us to _stay_? That could be fun actually, I've never gotten to play with a _real_ co--"

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, her face still flaming as she shoved Ginny out the door. "That is _it_ , you're not hanging out with Seamus _any more_!" Hermione closed the door behind them before Ginny could say anything else, leaving Harry and Draco alone.

Harry reached to take his wand off the bedside table and then cast a locking charm on the door and a silencing charm on the room. He looked around then, looking hopeful as he asked, "Draco, that _was_ you that passed my wards, wasn't it?"

Draco took off the cloak, stepping towards Harry as he said, "Yes, it was me." There was no sound and he made a face, tossing the cloak onto the foot of the bed as he pulled his wand from his pocket. He pointed it up at his own throat and muttered the counter spell, but again there was no sound. And, since that particular spell required the spoken word, absolutely no effect.

Harry started laughing at the way Draco's eyes went wide with shock. "Cat got your tongue?"

Draco gave Harry a dirty look. "It's not _that_ funny, Potter. Unlike _you_ , I actually have something useful to say occasionally."

When Harry couldn't hear what was obviously meant to be scathing, it just made him start laughing even harder. He fell back on the bed, his wand falling from his fingers to land on the floor with a light clatter as he wrapped his arms around his own belly.

Draco glared at Harry, but the glare quickly faded into a slight smile. That gave way to laughter of his own after only a moment as he realized how very ridiculous he had probably looked, and how funny Harry looked rolling on the bed laughing. It had been much too long since Draco had had a good laugh and he enjoyed it, but he still recovered his composure well before Harry did.

It only took him a few moments after that to realize that Harry also looked quite irresistible lying there on the bed holding his belly, his cheeks slightly flushed and his hair in disarray. Harry was trying to get control of himself again but he was still giggling as he looked up at Draco, flashes of bright green eyes glistening with mirth showing every time he blinked. Draco found himself suddenly wanting to kiss Harry again, and since he couldn't think of a reason why he shouldn't, he climbed onto the bed. He moved to straddle Harry's hips and smirked down at him as he braced his hands on the bed near Harry's shoulders.

Harry giggles faded away but he was still smiling as he asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

Draco's smirk widened into a grin as he leaned down towards Harry and mouthed, "Kissing you."

Harry got a bit wide-eyed at that and his smile disappeared as Draco leaned down, but he didn't even attempt to stop him. His gaze shifted to Draco's lips as Draco got closer, and Harry watched them until they were scarcely an inch from his own lips. Harry's eyelids finally fluttered closed in anticipation and Draco hovered there with Harry's breath warm against his lips until Harry's eyes opened again, looking disappointed. Draco smiled then and kissed Harry, drawing a soft pleased noise from him as their eyes closed.

Draco kept the kiss gentle and chaste even though Harry's lips were soft and yielding against his own, wanting to savor the moment instead of starting something more serious. Harry lifted both hands from the bed after a few moments to slide them into Draco's hair while he sucked gently at Draco's lower lip and shifted under him slightly. Draco pulled away from the kiss to look down at Harry, his expression smug. "Want more, do you?" he murmured soundlessly as Harry's eyes flickered open, a smile curving his lips.

"I can't hear you," Harry replied calmly, "so shut up and kiss me."

Draco snorted, pulling away a little further. "Why should I?"

That was simple enough Harry could easily read his lips, and Harry's smile widened as he ran his fingers through Draco's hair and replied, "Because you won't get to kiss me again until tonight, maybe?"

"Are you that sure that I want to?" Draco spoke slowly, amused.

Harry smirked and moved under Draco, tightening his grip on Draco's hair as he lifted his hips to press up against Draco's erection. "You _did_ start it, and I _know_ you're enjoying it." Harry tugged Draco's hair gently, adding, "Now shut up and kiss me, like I said."

Draco laughed silently and let Harry pull him down for another kiss as he shifted to sprawl inelegantly over Harry, getting comfortable for a more extended snog.

The tiny corner of Draco's mind that was still noticing details registered a bit of surprise at how solid Harry felt under him even though Harry was several inches shorter. Draco had always had the vague idea that Harry was sort of small and unimpressive, but he was forced to revise that opinion now. The muscular chest under him was quite a bit more developed than his own and Harry's shoulders were wider as well, making it likely that Harry outweighed him. Had Draco taken the time to really think it out, he would have realized that the school robes blurred body shapes and Harry was short enough that most failed to notice the breadth of his shoulders. As it was, his mind was rather occupied with such important things as how Harry tasted and how much he liked feeling that muscular body beneath his own. The reasons he had never noticed it before were a consideration for barely a second, if that.

Neither of them were in a hurry and it showed in their lingering touches as they continued kissing, exploring each other's mouths as hands roamed slowly over clothing. It was quite some time before Harry decided to take things further, sliding his hand underneath Draco's t-shirt to explore the smooth, firm skin of his back. Draco arched into Harry's touch, loving the feel of strong Quidditch-callused fingers stroking his skin, and he soon began to rock his hips slowly as their kisses became more demanding.

Draco was the first to pull away again, this time to scatter feather light kisses along Harry's jaw towards his neck as Harry's hands slid further up Draco's back, pushing his shirts up. Draco bit down gently on Harry's throat then, growling softly as Harry moaned under him and dug his blunt fingernails into Draco's back, flexing his hips. Draco made a mental note that Harry quite liked having his neck nibbled on as he smiled against Harry's throat and then licked and bit at the spot again. Harry made a soft encouraging noise as he tilted his head further to the side to give Draco more access, dragging his blunt nails lightly over Draco's back. Draco licked and sucked at the sensitive skin of Harry's throat, purposefully marking him while Harry whispered Draco's name.

After a few moments Harry's pleased murmurs grew a bit impatient and Draco began to kiss and nibble his way further down Harry's neck, one hand sliding up under Harry's t-shirt to tease a pebbled nipple. Harry gasped and arched under him, his fingers digging into Draco's shoulders again as Draco lightly stroked his thumb across Harry's nipple. Harry thrust up against Draco's thigh, his breath hitching as he shuddered and writhed, trying to get closer.

Draco smiled against Harry's throat, delighted by how responsive he was, and gently pinched Harry's nipple as he swirled his tongue into the hollow between Harry's collarbones. Harry repeated his name again in a soft, impatient tone as his hands stroked Draco's back in long, slow arcs while Draco's lips, tongue, and fingers languidly explored as much of Harry's body as they could get to.

The doorknob rattled then, but the sound didn't really register to either of them. Draco was completely absorbed in Harry as he nuzzled aside the collar of Harry's shirt, nibbling gently at soft, pale skin while Harry arched under him again, moaning softly. There was a loud knock at the door a moment later though, and then Dean's familiar voice called loudly, "Harry?"

Draco groaned silently and lifted his head as Harry's lust-filled green eyes opened quickly, surprised. He looked up at Draco, meeting Draco's gaze just as Dean called again a bit louder, "Harry! Open the door!"

Harry ran his hands again over the smooth muscles of Draco's back as he murmured, "If I don't answer, he'll go away." He was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to reassure Draco. He knew Dean could be very stubborn when it suited him.

"C'mon, Harry," Dean said clearly. "Hermione _said_ you're in there, and she agreed with me that we need to talk. I want to fix this, and she thinks we can."

Draco felt like someone had slapped him when he heard that Hermione had encouraged Dean. He knew she didn't like or trust him, but he had hoped that she wouldn't actively work to get Harry away from him so soon after they started whatever this was. It looked as though he had been wrong. He tried not to let how that realization made him feel show as he pulled away from Harry, muttering silently, "He sounds pretty _determined_ to me."

Harry's hands tightened on Draco's back before he let him go with a sigh, watching Draco move away to sit leaning back against the headboard. Harry sat up then, straightening his shirt and looking wistfully at Draco as Dean's voice clearly said, "Harry, please. I'm _really_ sorry."

Harry didn't seem to be paying any attention to Dean as he looked into Draco's suddenly uncertain blue eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Drake, _please_. What he and I had was fine while it lasted, but sex doesn't mean the things to him that I thought it should. I couldn't take it anymore, so I broke up with him."

Draco looked at Harry for a moment and then asked slowly, "What did you want it to mean?"

"I wanted it to mean he loved me enough not to lie to me, but he didn't," Harry replied simply, leaning forward to pick Draco's wand up off the bed. Draco's eyes widened as Harry pointed it towards the door and murmured, " _Finite Silencio_." Harry paused a second to give the spell time to dissipate fully and then raised his voice as he said, "Dean, I don't want to talk about it."

"I _knew_ you were in there," Dean responded immediately, sounding relieved. "Let me in, Harry, please. It's been over a month and we need to talk this out. You're one of my _best friends_ _._ I've been miserable not being able to talk to you."

Draco snorted, still silenced, and folded his arms across his chest as he muttered to himself, "He sure didn't look very _miserable_ when _I_ passed his room."

Harry didn't notice Draco's reaction, his attention on the door as he said firmly, " _I_ never said we couldn't still be friends, Dean. _You_ are the one who started avoiding me once I wasn't putting out anymore. I'm not going to try and be friends with someone who likes my _arse_ better than he likes _me_."

"Harry, _no_ , it's not _like_ that," Dean protested, sounding upset. "I thought you were mad at me, _really_ I did. You know I'd _never_ hurt you."

"I _thought_ I knew that Dean, but then you did hurt me," Harry replied. "You _knew_ when you slept with Seamus that it would hurt me, and you did it anyway. As if that wasn't bad enough, you lied to me about it and didn't stop sleeping with him even after I told you how I felt about it."

"It was just _sex_ , Harry. Seamus and I have been best friends for _seven years_ and --" Dean began reasonably, but Harry cut him off.

"And you knew that I expected you to be faithful, Dean. He's your best friend, sure, but I was your _boyfriend_. You should have thought about that if you wanted to keep me." Harry paused a moment and then added, "Hermione and Ginny are _my_ best friends, but you won't ever find me shagging Ginny just because she's feeling adventurous."

Draco nodded, thinking that he had been right that Ginny was interested in Harry. He also thought that Dean was none too bright to have turned his back on Harry for that Irish idiot. Finnegan was tall and built like a brick outhouse now that he had lost most of his baby fat, true, but he was still a complete arse. The whole school knew Finnegan had the morals of a whore when it came to relationships, and a cheap one at that. Finnegan would shag anyone who was willing, whether he was dating anyone or not, and he wasn't even very particular about looks.

"Harry, let me in so we can talk about it face to face and I can _explain_ ," Dean said after a minute, sounding a bit desperate.

Harry pursed his lips, frowning. "I don't think so, Dean."

"Please?" Dean pleaded, "I _hate_ seeing you disappear every night to go sit on that tower and _mope_. You need someone you can be with, Harry. Hermione says you've been much too lonely."

"You don't need to worry about me being lonely, Dean." Harry looked at Draco suddenly. "I've found someone else."

Draco just looked into Harry's eyes in the silence that ensued after that, trying to read exactly what Harry was feeling. There hope and something that Draco was surprised to find himself thinking might be real feeling for him plain in Harry's green eyes. It made some of Draco's uncertainty and worry dissipate.

The silence dragged on for several long minutes before Dean finally said, "He'd better treat you well, Harry."

"He will," Harry replied, still looking at Draco. "I think this might be the start of something that'll last a while."

Draco finally smiled again and murmured silently, "I'd like that."

Harry smiled back at him, his green eyes brightening even further, and then suddenly turned his head back towards the door. "Go to breakfast, Dean. We can talk tomorrow."

"Promise?" Dean asked after almost a minute, defeat obvious in his voice even with it muffled by the door.

"Yes, I _promise_. We'll talk tomorrow morning after breakfast," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "You can walk me to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid won't mind us standing a bit away from the class to talk, we're just to watch the girls get to know the new unicorn foal."

"Alright, I'll see you then." There was a moment of silence and then Dean added quietly, "Enjoy your day."

"I will. Have fun in Hogsmeade today," Harry called and then listened until he heard footsteps moving away. He recast the silencing charm on the room with Draco's wand and then pointed it at Draco, finally countering the silencing spell on him.

"It's about time you did that." Draco smiled, holding out his hand. "Can I have my wand back now?"

Harry looked surprised, then laughed and nodded, handing it to Draco. "Of course. I hadn't even noticed it wasn't mine."

Draco filed that little bit of information away as he took the wand and tucked it into his back pocket. He watched Harry in silence for a little while and then asked suddenly, "Did you really mean what you told him? About thinking this might last?"

Harry nodded slowly, giving Draco a searching look. "I want it to. I feel something when you kiss me that I've never felt before."

Draco gazed into Harry's eyes as he tried to decide how to reply, hesitating several long minutes he finally admitted, "So do I." He paused and then added even more quietly, "I can't get you out of my head anymore."

Harry smiled, his green eyes lighting up again as he moved towards Draco and said simply, "I'm glad."

 

_~*~*~_

I never meant to cause you trouble, _  
_And I never meant to do you wrong,_  
 _And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,_  
 _Oh no, I never meant to do you harm._ _

_~*~*~_

 

"I can't _believe_ you were snogging him shirtless _and_ let him mark you somewhere so _obvious_ ," Hermione muttered for the fifth time.

Harry, Hermione, and an again-invisible Draco were walking quickly down the hallway that led to Professor Flitwick's office. They intended to use his Floo while Ginny had him distracted with a discussion about her Advanced Charms project. Ginny had taken a page out of the twins' book -- literally, as it happened, since she had stolen George's notebook -- and she was attempting to create a portable desert. The spell kept misfiring and making a single block of sandstone instead, and Ginny had been meaning to ask Professor Flitwick for help anyway.

"You knew I would be," Harry replied reasonably, looking at Hermione. "Besides, we were bored waiting for you two." A slow grin spread across his face as he added, "You took _forever_ , you know. Are you _sure_ all you two did was go eat breakfast?"

Hermione's cheeks tinged slightly at that and Draco snickered, making her blush even redder. "That doesn't matter," she said primly, "I told Remus we'd be there sometime after nine, so we won't be very late."

Harry snorted. "And if _I'd_ been the one to make us nearly an hour late, you'd be going _on_ and _on_ about how _discourteous_ it was of me."

"I'm _sorry_!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, blushing even redder. "I _know_ it's wrong to make him wait, but we'll be gone _all morning_. Ginny wanted to kiss me goodbye and then one thing led to another..."

"And you wound up doing a _lot_ more than kissing," Draco finished for her quietly, smirking even though he knew that no one could see his face. "She looked rather ... _happy_."

Hermione's face flamed even more as Harry snickered and agreed, "You can say _that_ again."

"No, don't, _please_ ," Hermione said quickly, mortified. She opened the door to Flitwick's office and led the way inside only to stop abruptly a few feet into the room, making Harry put out one hand to stop Draco as he tried not to run into her.

All three of them stared wide-eyed at Professor Dumbledore, who was leaning against the desk and holding his wand. "Do close the door, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said calmly, the tip of his wand moving to point at Draco. "I think we would rather keep this conversation between the four of us." Draco closed the door as Dumbledore looked disapprovingly at Harry and added, "And you can remove that cloak as well, Mr. Malfoy. I had _thought_ Mr. Potter was wise enough to make certain it didn't fall into the wrong hands, but I see now that I was quite mistaken."

Draco took off the cloak, draping it over his arm. He moved to stand next to Harry while Harry frowned at Dumbledore and said, "It is my cloak, _sir_." Draco was a little surprised by the amount of disrespect Harry could put into such a simple word as 'sir', but his face showed no reaction even though Hermione flinched. "I believe I can let my boyfriend use it if I like."

Dumbledore gazed sadly over his glasses at Harry. "I am _very_ disappointed in you if that is, in fact, true."

"So be disappointed," Harry replied, his expression stubborn and annoyed. "It's my life and I'll live it as I please. At the moment, it very much pleases me to be with Draco. _Sir_."

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a very long time and then turned his gaze towards Hermione. "Miss Granger, do you still stand on the side of the Light, or have I somehow erred so dreadfully that I have lost you both?"

Hermione was shocked by the question, but her shock quickly turned into anger. "It's no _wonder_ Harry wants nothing to do with you anymore!" she exclaimed, "Even his _enemies_ know him well enough to know he'd _never_ go over to Voldemort!"

Dumbledore seemed unperturbed by her outburst. "If that is not the case, would you care to explain what _is_ going on, Miss Granger?"

Hermione stared at him in silence for few moments, fuming, then said abruptly, "No, I don't think I would. Harry's _right_ , it's no _use_ talking to you anymore. You'll just think whatever you want to think, no matter _what_ I say."

Dumbledore sighed, looking down at the floor with an expression that looked almost like regret. He lifted his gaze again after a few moments of silence, this time to look intently at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, would _you_ care to tell me how someone such as yourself has come to be keeping company with Harry Potter?"

Draco shrugged and said very politely, "He's very good company, sir."

Dumbledore frowned. "That is not much of an answer, Mr. Malfoy."

"It wasn't much of a question, sir," Draco replied immediately, making Harry smile.

Dumbledore sighed again, turning his attention back to Harry and looking critically at the reddish-purple mark high on the side of Harry's neck. "Do you care to explain anything at all Mr. Potter, or shall I just wait until the whole story is in the Daily Prophet yet again?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I did explain," Harry answered quickly, "So I really see no point. Sir."

"You could make the attempt," Dumbledore said quietly, finally meeting Harry's gaze directly again. "I will not say it is _owed_ me because I know it is not, however I would like to point out that it would show _good intentions_ on your part."

Harry met Dumbledore's gaze for well over a minute before he finally shrugged and said bluntly, "Draco was suicidal because he thought he had no way out of an untenable situation he never should have been put in. I decided to make sure he gets a second chance."

Hermione looked at Draco quickly, surprised to hear he had been suicidal. She had only seen him looking happier and more at ease than she could ever remember him being.

Draco didn't notice her sudden scrutiny, instead watching Harry's face as Harry went on, "I _know_ what it's like to feel like you haven't got any choices left in life. I intend for Drake to have the same chances _I_ do to choose his own way to stand for what he believes in."

Dumbledore turned his head to gaze at Draco. "And what exactly _do_ you believe in, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco smiled, his pale blue eyes calm. "Harry."

Dumbledore watched Draco in silence for a short while and then pushed away from Flitwick's desk to walk towards the door. "I trust that Remus will continue to pass along what little you wish me to know of your endeavors."

"Of course," Harry replied, pausing just a bit too long before he added, "Sir."

Dumbledore opened the office door to leave and then turned to look back at Harry as he said quietly, "I have always done what I thought was best for us all, Harry. I could not follow the best course for you alone, though I often wished to."

"I know." Harry's expression was very calm, and he kept his tone of voice even. "You've just decided that I shouldn't be a part of figuring out what that course might be, even though my life is usually the one on the line. The prophecies say that _I'm_ the one who has to stand against Voldemort, and I think that makes it all my business. I'm willing to fight and die to save my friends, but as I've told you before, I refuse to be _anyone's_ pawn."

"You are very much more than a pawn in _this_ game, Harry," Dumbledore said sadly. "You, and to a lesser extent your friends, are the last and best hope keeping our side from checkmate."

"And now we're even stronger," Harry replied confidently, "with one more person willing to stand next to me when I need him."

Dumbledore looked at Draco, surprised. "You intend to _publicly_ stand with Harry? Against your father?"

"I'm certainly not some _nancy boy_ who's going to hide in the shadows with _Pettigrew_ and pray that both sides _kill each other off_." Draco's icy tone of voice made it very obvious that he was annoyed at Dumbledore's low opinion of his courage. "I'll stand with Harry against the whole bloody _world_ if I have to, _including_ you." Hermione smiled suddenly at that as Draco followed Harry's lead, pausing long enough to be insulting before he added, " _Sir_."

Dumbledore sighed and then turned towards the door again, not looking at the three students as he spoke again. "I could wish that you all trusted me, but I well know that it is my own fault you do not. I shall leave you to whatever brought you here this morning and hope that it is not anything foolishly dangerous. Good day." He left without waiting for an answer, closing the door quietly behind him.

Harry's shoulders slumped slightly as he finally relaxed again, turning towards Draco with a sudden little smile as he said softly, "Thank you."

Draco smiled back and moved closer to Harry, resting his hands on Harry's waist. "I'm the one who should be saying that, Harry. You don't have to believe in me _or_ trust me, but you do."

Harry's smile widened as he swayed even closer to Draco and Hermione smiled as well, wondering if Harry and Draco even remembered she was in the room. They definitely seemed not to notice her as Harry moved his hands up to Draco's upper arms and looked up into Draco's smiling eyes.

"I could say the same thing to you, Drake," Harry said softly after a moment, "and it'd be just as true."

Draco shook his head. "There's a bit more to it on my side, Harry. If you hadn't been there last night, my family would be planning a funeral today. I had everything planned and ready, I just went to say goodbye."

Hermione's expression sobered at that, looking down at the floor. Draco wasn't her friend, no matter what he might mean to Harry, but it made her sad to hear that he had almost killed himself and she hadn't even known he was unhappy. Draco was one of the most gossiped about people in the school, and Ginny loved to gossip. Hermione knew all about his recent fights with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, but no one had passed any whispers about how desperately unhappy he must have been. It made her wonder how many other students, ones who weren't popular enough to be common fodder for the rumor mill, might be in need of help and no one knew it.

Harry was oblivious to Hermione's reaction as he swallowed hard, his smile fading away. "And I'd be in shock, wondering what would have happened if I had done something differently when you almost kissed me a month ago instead of letting you walk away."

Hermione looked up again, trying not to show how surprised she was by that revelation. She wondered suddenly if Draco almost kissed Harry before or after Harry ended his relationship with Dean.

Draco smiled, lifting one hand from Harry's waist to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry about that night," Draco said softly. "I couldn't admit yet that I really _did_ want to be with you, not even to myself, so I ran."

Harry leaned into Draco's touch, sliding his hands up over Draco's shoulders and then draping his arms loosely around Draco's neck. "I wanted you too," Harry replied quietly. "Almost as much as I'd like to kiss you right now."

"What's stopping you, Harry?" Draco asked with a smile, running his thumb across Harry's lower lip. "I'm not running anymore, not from you."

Harry smiled and tightened his arms around Draco's neck, pulling his head down as he said, "Which is good, because I'd just have to make a fool out of myself chasing you."

"Mm, don't want that," Draco murmured with a smile, lowering his head the last little bit to allow their lips to touch.

Hermione didn't make a practice of watching other people kiss, but she watched Harry and Draco without hesitation. She was surprised at the stark contrast between how Harry kissed Draco and the way Harry and Dean had acted together throughout their relationship. She had seen Harry and Dean snogging quite a few times and Dean had always been in charge while, as Ginny was fond of saying, 'making a go for it'.

Draco, like Dean, was taller than Harry and seemed to have a more dominant personality, but he wasn't obviously in charge or pushing Harry for more. Draco wasn't groping Harry's admittedly perfect arse within moments the way Dean always had, or acting as if he intended to eat Harry alive. In fact, neither Harry nor Draco seemed in a hurry to go past a simple kiss as they slowly explored each other's mouths, every movement slow and gentle.

Hermione soon realized that the way Draco kissed Harry reminded her of how Ginny often kissed her. They looked as though they wanted nothing more than to spend forever kissing, something she knew Dean hadn't ever encouraged with Harry. Harry had complained about Dean's decided lack of foreplay several times that Hermione knew of, and Harry and Ginny usually discussed boys when she wasn't around so she was sure it must have been a major concern for Harry if he had allowed her to know about it, too. Harry had few secrets from Ginny anymore, but some things he didn't discuss with Hermione because he knew it would embarrass her.

Harry was, to use Ginny's expression, an utter sap. He liked to cuddle and kiss and wanted to be with someone that wasn't at all ashamed to show how they felt about him. Dean had liked everyone to know he was with Harry but he had thought cuddling and kissing was too girly, especially in public. Hermione suddenly realized that Dean probably had wanted to be with Harry for the sex and notoriety, not because he loved him, and hoped that Harry and Draco wouldn't be too upset with her for encouraging Dean that morning. After seeing Harry and Draco kiss, she wouldn't be encouraging Dean any longer. Draco at least seemed to be making Harry feel like Draco cared deeply for him and that was more than Dean had ever bothered to do.

Harry and Draco finally ended their kiss to pull back and look into each other's eyes, and Hermione decided that whatever the two of them felt for each other would be given the chance to grow, even if she had to fight tooth and nail for them. She knew how lonely Harry had been since Ron died, even after Harry finally began dating, and the look in Draco's eyes made her think that he truly could be the one to fill the empty places in Harry's life and his heart.

Harry needed quite a lot more from a boyfriend than just the sex or friendship that Dean had been willing or able to offer it to him. Harry didn't just want to get laid, or to be able to say he had a boyfriend. Harry had been forced to grow up faster than most of his classmates, and unlike most boys his age he was looking for a lasting commitment from someone who loved him. He wanted a partner he could rely on the way he had always relied on Ron, especially towards the end of Ron's life.

Harry had lost Ron just when they had begun to admit that the love they had for each other was so much more than friendship or even brotherly love. When the pain Harry felt because of Ron's death had finally faded enough that he could talk about it, Hermione had found out that Harry's greatest regret of their time together was that he and Ron had never done anything more than kiss. Ron had been hesitant and Harry had loved Ron so much that he didn't want to hurry him into anything he wasn't yet ready for, thinking that they had their whole lives ahead of them.

After he lost Ron so suddenly, Harry had realized that Ron's fear of doing anything 'really queer' had cost him something he could never replace. Harry had seized opportunities with much less hesitation since then, fighting for what he wanted not because he wanted to rebel but because he knew he might well die before he had the chance again. He wanted to live life as fully as he possibly could in whatever time he had. That meant that he took risks that were not necessary, yes, but it also meant that he had achieved things that more careful people never would have even attempted. Harry gave everything his all now and even though he had been lonely this last year, he had experienced quite a lot and was enjoying his life as best he could. He savored whatever happiness he could find for himself and valued the good things in life much more than most his age did, forgetting the bad as often as he could. It wasn't perfect by far, but Harry had learned early that life, or at least _his_ life, never was.

Hermione and Ginny both loved Harry as much as Ron had, just not in the same way. They were close to him but they weren't in love with Harry and he wasn't in love with them, so they could never be to Harry quite what Ron had been. Harry needed a partner that was his equal, someone who would fight next to him when things were rough or laugh with him when life gave him a reason to be happy. He needed someone who would let him be his own person, but could still tell when Harry needed someone to take care of him and do it whether Harry liked it or not. Most importantly, Harry needed someone who loved him, not his fame, and was completely unashamed to show that love in public no matter what the response to it was.

Seeing how Harry and Draco looked at each other made Hermione seriously wonder how much of their fighting the last seven years had been them trying to convince themselves they weren't attracted to each other. As far as she knew, Harry had never looked at _anyone_ with such obvious love as was on his face just then. She knew that Harry had never dared to let his love for Ron show so freely in front of anyone, probably not even Ron. Harry had accepted during the summer before their sixth year that being queer was just one more way he was different, but Ron had really struggled with admitting he was bisexual. He had tried very hard to fight his feelings when he realized he loved Harry as something other than a friend or brother, and hadn't really accepted it until just a few weeks before he died.

Hermione had never seen Draco with someone he cared about before, but she couldn't help but think that the soft look in his pale blue eyes and the gentle smile he was giving Harry were inspired by love. It was definitely an emotion that she had never seen on his face before, and now that she had she couldn't help but like him a bit more. Just seeing him look at Harry like that was enough to earn her aid, if not yet her trust, and she intended to do all she could for them.

She owed it to Harry.

 

_~*~*~_

Oh no, I see, _  
_A spider web and it's me in the middle._  
 _So I twist and turn,_  
 _Here I am, in love and in trouble._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco sneezed as he stepped out of the Floo into a rather large kitchen, dusting himself off as he moved to stand next to Harry. He was so intent on dusting off his clothes that he didn't notice the shocked looks he got from the people sitting at the table across the kitchen until he heard the sudden scrape of chairs.

"Just put your wands away," Harry said then, "and give me time to explain, please?"

Draco looked towards the table in surprise to see Fred, George, Remus, and a girl he vaguely recalled was one of his own cousins all pointing their wands at him. They were looking murderous, especially the twins, and reacted with obvious distrust when there was another whoosh of green flame in the fireplace.

Hermione stepped out, coughing a bit and dusting off her clothes as she muttered, "Honestly! Next time we walk to the forest and Apparate like civilized wizards."

Draco ignored her arrival, instead watching the obviously hostile members of the Order as he lifted his hands, palm out to show that he wasn't holding anything. He thought now would be a very good time to make it plain that he had put his life in Harry's hands. He tried very hard to sound calm and friendly as he said, "Harry, take my wand. Please."

Harry gave the twins, Remus, and Tonks all a wry look and then moved closer to Draco. "Where is it?"

"In my back pocket," Draco replied giving Harry a reassuring smile and then looking back at the four furious-looking members of the Order. He was careful to keep his hands up high enough that the four standing near the kitchen table could all see them as Harry brushed Draco's denim shirt aside and took his wand. "I'm not going to bother anyone, you've got my word."

"A _Malfoy's_ word is _worthless_." The twin who spoke, which Draco thought was George, continued glaring at Draco even after Harry turned to face him again.

Harry took one look at the twins' faces and decided it would be prudent to stay in front of Draco so no one would hex him.

"Please everyone, _sit down_ and give us a chance to _explain_ ," Hermione said then, her tone reasonable. She moved over to stand with Harry in front of Draco, resisting the urge to pull her own wand even though she was afraid she would need it. These were her friends and she didn't want to hex any of them, so she hoped that putting herself in harm's way with Harry would be enough to prevent them from doing anything drastic to Draco.

Harry nodded with a bit of a hopeful expression even as the other twin glared at Hermione and exclaimed angrily, "I'm _not_ sitting down with that _bastard!_ His father killed Ronnie _and_ Percy!"

"And then over the summer hols he used Cruciatus on _me_ quite a few times because I hadn't broken him out of Azkaban and didn't help him free himself during the trial," Draco replied fairly calmly, drawing all eyes back to him. "Every time the shakes started to wear off he did it again until Voldemort finally decided he wanted to keep me sane. He told Father to find a new toy then, but I am quite sure he only protected me because he wanted to use me for something else later." Draco paused a moment and then added more quietly, "I have no lingering love for my father _or_ Voldemort, I promise you."

Hermione stared at Draco, shock and revulsion plain on her face as she whispered, "That's so _awful_. How could anyone do that to their own _child_?"

Draco, who was still holding his hands up in plain sight, shrugged elegantly as though it didn't bother him despite the empty look in his eyes. "He's never seen me as anything more than a fashion accessory. _All_ the best families have an heir, so of course _he_ wanted one."

Harry made a decision and suddenly reached for one of Draco's hands, pulling it down and then tugging on it. He began to guide Draco towards the nearest chair then, putting his other hand on Draco's back as he looked across the table at Remus. "I don't expect you to trust Drake yet, despite the fact you can, but if you trust _me_ you'll put your wands away and let us explain."

Draco sat down where Harry indicated, hoping that by doing exactly as Harry asked of him it would make the others feel he was 'tame' so to speak. He was a bit surprised to see that Tonks was the first to tuck her wand away up one sleeve and return to her seat, her distrustful expression fading away so that she merely seemed curious. Remus frowned at Harry as he lowered his wand a moment later, but he didn't put it away or sit down. The twins continued to glare at Draco with their wands pointed directly at him, and Draco watched them in silence for a moment before he looked up at Harry and said, "Bind me to the chair."

"I will _not!_ " Harry exclaimed indignantly, frowning at Draco. "They've got to decide whether they trust me or not, I'm not going to _beg_ them. If they can't trust _me,_ they can leave _my home_ so we can talk to Remus in peace."

"Oh bloody _hell_ , you're all being _ridiculous_ ," Hermione said impatiently as she walked briskly around the table to stand next to Tonks. She gave Fred and George a stern look and said in a no-nonsense tone, "Put those away before I have to make you. You're acting like idiots."

The one Draco had thought was Fred glared at Hermione. "Think you can?"

"I bloody well _know_ she can, Freddie, and so do you," George answered before Hermione could, reaching for Fred's wand to deftly twist it out of his hand as Draco silently congratulated himself for being able to tell them apart. Fred turned his angry look on George, who added with obvious annoyance, "I trust Harry and Hermione, even if I don't want to be in the same room with that smarmy bastard. Let's give them a chance. If they're so sure they can trust him, maybe we can."

Fred stared at George a moment and then sat down, still frowning. "I trust Harry and Hermione, but that's as far as I'm willing to go." He looked at Harry, his expression unreadable. "Is that good enough to be going on with?"

"Yes Fred, it is. Thank you," Harry said quietly, sitting down next to Draco as the twins seated themselves in the chairs they were standing by. Harry tucked Draco's wand into his waistband next to his own and then Draco realized suddenly that Harry had been holding it the entire time. His lips twitched into a ghost of a smile and he stared at Harry a moment, wondering if Harry would have used it on his friends just to protect him. Harry glanced in his direction and gave him a quick reassurring smile then, and Draco couldn't help but smile wider in reply.

Remus still seemed quite wary, but he had already sat down across from Draco and put away his wand. He had been watching Draco through the silent exchange with Harry with narrowed eyes, picking up on the warmth in the boys' eyes when they looked at each other. He wasn't at all sure he trusted it or approved, but he somehow doubted that saying so would be the best way to handle the situation. He spoke up after a few moments, purposefully distracting Harry from smiling at Draco. "Harry, surely you have an _exceedingly_ good reason for bringing _him_ into --"

"Our home," Hermione finished for him quickly, making everyone look at her. She walked around the table to sit next to Draco as she went on briskly, "And we _do_ have a good reason, we just didn't expect you to have company."

Remus raised an eyebrow at her, his expression quizzical and still a bit wary. "And what exactly would that reason be?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it again, suddenly thinking better of trying to explain it herself. She looked over at Harry and Draco as she smiled and asked brightly, "Wouldn't you like to explain it all, Harry?"

Harry gave her a level look as he replied insincerely, "Gee, _thanks_." Draco snickered at that and Harry reached over and popped Draco lightly on the back of his head, turning to grin at him as he said, "And _you_ can stop your snickering, unless of course _you_ want to explain."

The shadows along Harry's neck shifted when Harry turned his head, allowing the others at the table to see the rather large love-bite on his neck that Harry had completely forgotten about. Draco was oblivious to the way the others were staring at Harry's neck as he grinned impishly at Harry, his blue eyes twinkling. "But you do such a _good_ job of talking yourself into a corner, Harry," he said cheerfully. "You don't need my help."

George and Remus exchanged concerned looks as Harry mock-glared Draco, trying not to let his amusement show. "Drake, you have two choices right now: shut up and let me talk, or tell them by yourself."

Draco gave Harry a charming smile. " _Completely_ up to you, Harry. I'm just here because you asked me to be."

Harry snorted, the sparkle in his green eyes giving away just how close he was to laughing. "That smile won't work on me, _especially_ when I've got your wand and know how to use it."

"You can't, though," George said then, unable to keep from butting in even though he was morbidly fascinated by watching Harry and Draco as he tried to figure out whether or not Draco had given Harry that bite on his neck. "We tried using confiscated Death Eaters' wands, remember? They won't work for anyone on the side of the Light."

Harry frowned as he turned his attention to George and said firmly, "Draco is not now, nor has he ever been, a Death Eater. I can use his wand quite well."

"Prove it," Fred said then, his expression disbelieving.

Harry shrugged and pulled Draco's wand from his waistband, pointing it at a pile of dirty breakfast dishes at the far end of the table as he said clearly, " _Lanxiwasi!_ "

Everyone watched as the plates levitated off the table and then Harry gestured with the wand to guide them across the room to the sinks, where the plates stacked themselves neatly on top of an already prodigious pile of dishes. Harry looked back at Fred then and asked with a smug expression, "Proof enough?"

Hermione sniffed, then muttered, "Show off."

Harry grinned at her and then turned his attention to the others, waiting patiently for someone to speak as Remus, Tonks, and the twins all stared at him.

Remus was remembering his own experiments with wands and the fact that he had been able to use only his own and his lifemate's, even though he had tried a dozen. Hermione had speculated that it was because Remus didn't truly believe it was possible, but Remus thought that it was because he wasn't close enough to anyone else emotionally. He had a lot of friends, yes, but he had very few that he shared his thoughts and feelings with, something that he privately thought was important if you wished to share wands. A wand was an intensely personal thing to him, and he was still of the old school in that he was reluctant to allow anyone to casually handle his wand.

George finally spoke up then, pulling Remus from his thoughts to stare in surprise as George asked, "May I try it?"

"If you promise not to screw up my wand," Draco answered before Harry had a chance to say anything, making everyone look at him again. "If you think it'll be too tempting, George, then I'd rather you not touch it."

"I won't do anything to it," George said, looking at Draco with an inscrutable expression. "You have my word."

Draco nodded and smiled. "Be my guest then."

Harry tossed the wand to George, his voice calm as he said, "Try something simple. If Remus' theory that a relationship is necessary to use someone's wand is correct, you'll likely not be able to do much with it."

George nodded, not liking the hint that Harry had a strong emotional tie to Draco, or vice versa. He knew a bit of how lonely Harry had been and that he and Dean had broken up, but for Harry to start something with a Slytherin, especially Draco, was simply wrong in his eyes. George tried to clear his mind of all the reasons he didn't like Draco though, instead concentrating on the spell he wanted to perform as he pointed Draco's wand at his teacup and said clearly, " _Wingardium Leviosa_."

The cup rattled against the table and then slowly lifted barely an inch before it fell, cracking when it landed on the table and causing the tea it held to begin seeping out. " _Reparo_ ," George said then, but there was no effect so he repeated it again more firmly only to cause the cup to shatter completely.

"Give it to me," Hermione said abruptly, reaching across the table towards George, who gave her Draco's wand after only a short pause. Hermione pointed Draco's wand at the mess in front of George and said clearly, " _Reparo_." The shards of porcelain slowly reassembled themselves into a cup and then Hermione tossed George a napkin as she gave him a reassuring look and said in a familiarly superior tone, "You've just got too much of a grudge against the wand's owner, _that's_ all."

"Does that mean you actually _like_ me, Hermione?" Draco asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow at her with a little smirk.

Hermione pursed her lips slightly, looking at Draco for a moment before she said, "I believe that's the first time I have _ever_ heard you call me by my first name."

Draco laughed. "Would you rather I keep calling you Granger?"

"No, you can call me Hermione if you like," Hermione replied quickly, smiling a bit as she handed Draco's wand back to Harry. "As for your question, yes, I suppose I _do_ like you well enough now that you're behaving yourself. I quite like how you've been treating Harry, at any rate. He needs someone he can count on, and I hope it's you, for both your sakes."

Draco smiled. "Well, if all I have to do to keep on your good side is treat Harry well, we should get along fine."

Remus spoke up suddenly then, half-asking, "Harry, am I to assume that you are in a _relationship_ with Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry looked at Remus, nodding. "Yes Remus, I am."

"And is this a _new_ development, or have you been _hiding this_ from us?" Remus asked seriously, his expression unreadable.

"It's new, but strong," Harry replied immediately, calm and confident. "I _know_ it has to be hard for you to understand, but I trust him and I want to be sure that my family knows I care about him quite a lot. I'm not asking you to like him or to become his best friend or anything, I'm just asking you to accept that he's important to me."

Remus sighed and gazed at Harry silently for several minutes before he finally spoke again. "Surely you understand how difficult this is for us, Harry. He has never shown any sign that he was anything other than your enemy. Now suddenly he's your boyfriend and you want us to accept him into, well, our lives. You're asking us to put a _lot_ of faith in him that I'm not at all sure he's worthy of."

"No, I'm not," Harry countered, "I'm asking you to trust me enough to put your faith in _me_."

"You already _have_ our trust, Harry, _and_ our faith," Remus said, surprised.

Harry smiled. "Then you should have no problem trusting me when I say Draco is my responsibility. If anything goes wrong, I'll handle it myself."

"If he turns on us, can you kill him?" Fred asked suddenly, watching Harry intently.

"I won't need to," Harry replied, "but I'm still better at dueling than Draco is, so I'm sure if I _had_ to I could disable him."

"You know, that's your biggest weakness, Harry," Draco said suddenly then, drawing attention back to him. Draco ignored the others, meeting Harry's gaze with a slightly worried expression as he added, "You're too soft. If anyone on your side goes bad you need to be ready to _deal with it_ , not just slap them on the wrist as you say 'play nice next time'. That's what your parents did with that rat Pettigrew, and it got them _killed_. I don't want you making the same mistake, not even for me."

"You're _nothing_ like Pettigrew," Harry said, giving Draco a reasonable smile. "Besides, I can be tough enough to do whatever I have to do, Drake. Don't worry about me."

Draco looked at Harry a moment longer and then smiled. "I won't, but only because I intend to take care of the things you're too soft to handle. I'll not mind putting an end to any of that barmy old bastard's lapdogs, so you'll be safe enough with me watching your back."

Harry laughed softly at that as Hermione said, "Hey! What about Ginny and I?! We're not chopped liver you know."

Draco grinned at Hermione and replied teasingly, "You ladies can help if you like, I suppose. Just be certain you stay behind us when curses start flying, so we can protect you."

Hermione snorted, trying not to laugh. "Draco, you're a bit of a chauvinist pig, aren't you?"

"Why yes, I am!" Draco replied cheerfully, giving Hermione a little seated bow. "I'm so very _thrilled_ you noticed."

Harry snickered and reached out to poke Draco in the side. "Stop being an arse."

"I actually thought I was being rather charming," Draco replied, smirking at Harry. "And I was only telling the truth. I am a bit of a chauvinist, and quite unashamed of it. Women do not belong in wars. Dying isn't at all pretty, and I'd much rather they weren't exposed to it at all."

"We'll break you of that, Draco," Hermione said primly then, making Harry and Draco both look at her. "Gin and I won't stand for being treated like fragile femmes."

"Draco, why the sudden change of heart?" Remus asked suddenly, cutting Draco off just as he opened his mouth to answer Hermione. "As far as I knew, even up until a _month_ ago you were still quite loyal to your father."

Draco gave a little half-shrug, his smirk fading away with his amusement. "Everyone is supposed to think that. I had no one I could turn to outside my father's influence, or at least no one that I thought would listen to me. I did what I had to in order to stay on his good side." Draco made a face and added, "Though that is _much_ worse than being beneath his notice."

"How long have you wanted out?" Tonks asked then, curious.

Draco's expression settled into the almost emotionless look that was all most people had seen from him for quite some time. "Since just after last term ended. Let's just say my welcome home was _extremely_ unpleasant and leave it at that."

"Yes, you _did_ mention your father's use of Cruciatus," Remus agreed, looking almost sympathetic. "The lingering effects of prolonged use are quite unpleasant."

Draco laughed humorlessly. "That was later, and it wasn't so bad, really. Father started toughening me up to the Unforgivables when I was _five_. No, Voldemort’s special pets, the Lestrange brothers, handled my welcome home long before Father risked seeing me himself. They make Father look _tame_ , and are the ones you'll really have to watch out for in my opinion." He paused slightly and then added, "I've spent too long trying to forget the nightmares to tell you exactly what they did. Suffice it to say I have seen Hell, and came out the other side realizing that many of the things I thought I knew about myself were nothing but lies and stupidity."

Harry impulsively reached over and covered Draco's hand with his own, causing Draco look at him and see the sad, sympathetic look on Harry's face. "You don't have to tell us more, Drake," Harry said softly. "I know what it's like to have things you just want to forget."

Draco nodded, giving Harry a slight smile as he turned his hand over to lace their fingers together. "I know you do." Draco turned his gaze back to Tonks after a moment and went on, "To answer your question, Tonks, I've wanted out for nearly a year, but it was a note from my mother that moved me to finally act. I was informed yesterday that the plans have been finalized and my doting family plan to celebrate my birthday by forcing me to take the Mark _and_ a fiancé I don't want. I decided I was finally going to open an artery or three and get it over with." Draco shrugged slightly. "I knew Harry would be on the battlements and wanted to talk to him once more to say goodbye, so I went up there to pass the time until no one would be awake to interrupt my plans. When Harry realized what I had planned, he decided he didn't like it." Draco looked back at Harry with a sudden soft smile that was completely at odds with his slightly put-out tone. "He _bullied_ me into promising him my life."

Harry just smiled at Draco. "I didn't, I made you promise not to kill yourself or just lay down and _die_. That's different."

Draco laughed. "Same thing, Harry. The moment my father finds out I've turned on him my life will be _worthless_ with anyone on Voldemort's side, and most of the neutrals as well. You're the only one on the side of the Light that thinks I might be worth salvaging, so my life is worthless to _your_ friends, as well. That leaves me rather definitely in your pocket." A glimmer of real amusement appeared in Draco's blue eyes as he added, "Not that I'm complaining mind you, I quite like your pockets, especially the back ones."

"You don't need to be _salvaged_ ," Harry said with a frown, ignoring Draco's gentle teasing for the moment. "You've been a prat, yes, but Professor Snape has done quite a lot that was _much_ worse than the things you've done Drake, and _he's_ been one of us for ye--"

" _Harry!_ " Remus exclaimed, his amber eyes going wide in shock.

"What?!" Harry asked, looking at Remus in surprise.

"I can't _believe_ you just did that!" Remus exclaimed, his shock fading quickly into anger. "Sev has put his life on the line for you over and _over_ again, how can you _endanger_ him like that?! Malfoy could switch sides again _tomorrow_ , and your _stupid_ thoughtlessness might cost Severus his _life!_ "

Harry frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but Draco beat him to it, asking quietly, "Professor Lupin, what would it take for you to trust me?"

Remus was surprised enough by the question and the title that he was taken aback. He looked thoughtfully at Draco for several minutes as everyone watched them in silence before he finally admitted, "I'm not sure anything you say or do could make me trust you, Draco. I have known your father for most of my life and you are very like him, as I am quite sure you know. He and Severus were very close as youngsters, especially when Sev was your age..." Remus trailed off and paused a moment before he half-asked, "You did know that your father and Severus were in a relationship at one time, correct?" Draco nodded and then Remus went on, "Well, your father has lied successfully to Severus even though they've known each other all of their lives, and on many occasions I might add. I truly see no way for us to know you aren't lying right now."

"What about Veritaserum?" Hermione asked suddenly, causing everyone to look at her in surprise. "I've been thinking about it since last night. If he took it, he would _have_ to tell the truth, no matter what other influence he might be under, because Veritaserum voids even the strongest Imperius. _Then_ there would be no reason left for _anyone_ to doubt him, and no reason not to accept him completely as one of us, like Harry wants."

Remus looked thoughtfully at her for a moment and then turned his gaze back to Draco. "Would you take it?"

"Of course, sir," Draco replied immediately, nodding. "Right now if you like. It would make life much easier for me as well. I want you all to know you needn't expect me to turn on you."

Harry sighed. "You shouldn't have to take it, but it _would_ simplify everything."

"Then someone should contact Professor Snape," Draco said decisively, "and whoever you would like to be witnesses for the Order and Harry's Defense club."

Tonks and the twins started slightly in surprise and Remus gave Harry an annoyed look, obviously unhappy Harry had revealed so much to someone they weren't sure they could trust yet.

Draco went on as though he hadn't noticed. "My life is going to get _very_ difficult to hang on to as soon as anyone on the other side discovers I've so much as _talked_ to Harry without trying to kill him. I would quite appreciate it if I didn't have to worry about his _friends_ trying to kill me as well."

Remus stood. "I'll go find Albus and Severus then, they'll both need to be here for the Order." Remus looked at Harry and asked, "Are there any members of the D.A. you would like to be here?"

"Ginny, definitely," Harry replied and then looked at Hermione. "Should Dean be here?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Once Ginny accepts Draco publicly everyone else will follow our lead, including Dean." Hermione gave Draco a regretful look, adding, "I doubt they'll _like_ it though, at least at first. You've quite a lot of enemies."

"I know," Draco said calmly as Harry gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm quite used to not being liked."

"Right then," Remus said, nodding as he walked around the table towards the fireplace. "Is Ginny at Hogwarts today, or has she gone somewhere?"

"She's at school," Hermione answered with a quick smile. "She and Dennis were going to spend the morning in the Library after she spoke with Professor Flitwick about something. She lost a bet and has to help the fifth years study for their O.W.L.s."

Fred and George both snickered at that while Tonks grinned and said, "I'm sure she's not happy about that."

"Not very, no," Hermione replied, giggling.

"Then I'll have someone tell her we need her to come by." Remus reached for the pot of Floo powder next to the fireplace, taking out a handful as he glanced back at the people gathered around the table. "I shouldn't be too long, Sev is grading papers today and Albus should be easy to find as well. While you wait, I would like to suggest cleaning up a bit, it will pass the time and would be quite a helpful to me."

"Of course," Hermione said, standing up. "And I'll make sure a fresh pot of tea is ready for the Headmaster."

"Thank you," Remus replied with a smile. He turned his back to the others and dropped the handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, then stepped into the green flames as he said clearly, "Severus Snape's quarters, Hogwarts!"

Remus disappeared in a whirl of flames as Tonks jumped to her feet, grinning at Hermione and pretending she didn't notice when George nearly fell out of his chair trying to catch hers before it fell to the floor. "I'll do the dishes!"

Harry, Hermione, and Fred all exclaimed, " _No_!"

"Why not?" Tonks asked, giving Fred a dirty look. He was her boyfriend after all, or one of them at any rate, and she felt like it was his job to support her decision even just volunteering to do a simple chore.

Fred's eyes widened slightly as he stammered wordlessly while Hermione said firmly, "Thank you, Tonks, but _I'll_ do the dishes. Remus will need to use them again."

Harry tried hard not to laugh as Tonks turned her attention away from Fred and stuck her tongue out at Hermione. "I can do the dishes without _breaking_ them all!"

Hermione smiled disarmingly, reminding Harry quite a lot of Molly Weasley as she said tactfully, "I'm quite sure you could, but we'll need someone to keep the twins in line and you're best at that. Why don't you take them up and make sure the upstairs drawing room is presentable? I think that'll be the best place for everyone to gather."

Tonks rolled her eyes and muttered, "Yes mum," then grabbed the material of Fred and George's sleeves to pull them towards the door. "Come along you two, she's right, you'll need a keeper. Send you up there alone and you'd be shagging in a heartbeat, and the room never will get set to rights."

Draco's eyes widened and he watched interestedly as the twins blushed and stood, letting Tonks drag them towards the door.

"And we're _not_ going to play _at all_ until the room is clean," Tonks added firmly, "so don't even _ask_."

Tonks dragged them out of the room, leaving Harry and Draco alone with Hermione, who tactfully withdrew to the sink to begin the dishes.

Harry looked seriously at Draco and asked, "Are you _sure_ about this, Drake? The Veritaserum I mean? It can be a bit overwhelming from what I've seen of it..."

Draco nodded, smiling as he gave Harry's hand a squeeze. "Definitely. Don't worry, Harry, I've got a feeling everything will turn out well."

"I hope so," Harry replied, trying to return the smile and not quite succeeding. "I want it to."

Draco gave him a confident grin. "Trust me."

 

_~*~*~_

Singing, I never meant to cause you trouble, _  
_I never meant to do you wrong,_  
 _And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,_  
 _Oh no, I never meant to do you harm._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Draco returned to consciousness slowly a few hours later. He couldn't quite make sense of the soft noises in the room or where he was, but he thought they were voices, or perhaps a wireless. After a moment, he realized that he was sitting on something hard and leaning back against someone's chest with his head on their shoulder. He was very warm and the arms wrapped around him made him feel so safe and loved that he was suddenly sure it must be Harry holding him. He relaxed again as he tried to remember how he had gotten here, but his mind was oddly blank.

Draco tried to open his eyes after a few moments, which caused him to notice that there was a cool cloth covering them. He shifted slightly and started to lift one hand to remove the cloth as he tried to lift his head off Harry's shoulder, then let out a soft noise as the movement caused a sudden stab of pain in his head. He felt lips against his temple then and flinched as Harry's voice spoke very softly against his skin, sending another stab of pain through his head despite Harry's evident attempt to stay quiet.

"Easy, Drake," Harry whispered softly, "be still. Professor Snape said you'll have an _awful_ hangover, but he had to wait until you were awake to give you something for it."

The other noises in the room -- Draco was sure now that they were voices -- fell silent as he nodded slightly, flinching when the movement sent another stab of pain through his head. If this was what a hangover felt like, Draco was suddenly very sure he never wanted to get truly drunk. It simply could _not_ be worth it.

"I'm awake, Harry," Draco muttered, "Bring on the potion." Draco felt Harry move one of his hands up to the cloth covering his eyes, sliding it up to rest on Draco's forehead instead.

Harry chuckled very softly against Draco's hair as Professor Snape's familiar dry voice said, "Open your eyes, Draco."

Draco opened his eyes, blinking a few times to focus on the form of Professor Snape kneeling next to him as he tried to ignore the throbbing behind his eyes and the way his stomach roiled. It hadn't done that until he opened his eyes, and the rush of nausea made him close them for a moment before he opened his eyes again and carefully reached for the teacup Professor Snape was offering to him.

"Thank you, sir." Draco put the cup to his lips and wrinkled his nose as he drank the contents quickly, barely registering the smell because of how positively awful it tasted and the throbbing pain in his head. When the teacup was empty, he handed the cup back to Professor Snape. "Remind me _not_ to take Veritaserum again."

Professor Snape snorted and rose gracefully to his feet, walking towards the door. "You should not be asked to. You proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have been _quite_ truthful with everyone except perhaps your parents. Lying to Lucius without getting caught is an _admirable_ accomplishment as far as _I_ am concerned. I would think your success at that this last year should be seen as a definite plus to the Order." Professor Snape left the room without giving anyone a chance to reply to him.

Draco finally realized he was sitting in the floor then, and he smiled as he laid his head back on Harry's shoulder and closed his eyes to wait for the potion to work.

Harry nuzzled Draco's temple and then kissed his cheek before he murmured into his ear, "You were brilliant, you know." Draco didn't even attempt to move as he felt a tingle sweep through his body and the potion began clearing away his headache and nausea, but his smile widened a bit. Harry nuzzled his ear, nibbling gently at the edge of it before he whispered almost soundlessly, "I knew I was right about you."

Draco opened his eyes finally and turned his head to look at Harry, who was leaning back against the front of the chair Draco vaguely remembered sitting down in while they waited for Dumbledore to join them. "So, I passed?" Draco asked, smiling and feeling much as he had before he had taken the Veritaserum.

Harry gave Draco a quick kiss and then grinned at him. "With flying colors." Harry's green eyes were sparkling so brightly that Draco found himself grinning back and wondering if it had been something he said that had made Harry so very happy.

"Yeah," Ginny agreed nearby, sounding amused. "You're _definitely_ among friends."

Draco looked towards her voice to see Ginny and Hermione were curled up together on a small loveseat a few feet away. Fred and George were seated on the couch further across the room, and Tonks was seated sideways in George's lap with her legs resting on Fred's thighs. All five of them were grinning at him, and that was such a complete about-face when compared to how the twins in particular had acted before he took the potion that Draco couldn't help but ask, "What'd I say?"

"Oh, a _lot_ of things," Ginny answered, smirking. "The most important part was that you're in love with Harry and you'd die to protect him. You're really quite a sweetie when you're telling him how wonderful he is."

Draco's eyes widened and he pulled away from Harry to sit up straight, staring at Ginny a moment before he turned to look at Harry. " _Please_ tell me someone directed the questioning away from what I want to do to you. I don't mind them knowing I'm a sap, but there _are_ a few things I don't want to share with your family."

Ginny, Hermione, and Tonks all giggled at that while Harry laughed, his eyes still sparkling happily. "You tried several times to tell us, Drake, but Professor Snape and the Headmaster mostly managed to keep you steered towards safer subjects."

"Mostly?" Draco asked, looking a bit worried.

Harry grinned. "I don't think you scandalized Hermione _too_ badly."

Draco relaxed a bit, relieved. " _Oh, good_."

"Ginny and I will just _have_ to try the handcuffs and chocolate sauce though," Hermione said with a wicked little grin, making Draco turn quickly to look at her as his blue eyes widened in shock again. "And I want to borrow that book you mentioned, the Indian one? It sounds _quite_ interesting."

"Oh, _Merlin_ ," Draco said feelingly as a bright pink flush spread across his cheeks, not quite sure if he should be mortified or not. "I don't want to know about _anything_ else I said. _Ever_." Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks started giggling again as Fred and George laughed, causing Draco to give them all a dirty look as he said firmly, "It. Did. Not. Happen."

Harry smirked and scooted forward a bit, sliding his arms around Draco's waist and resting his chin on Draco's shoulder. "But Dra-ake," he whined teasingly, "I'd like to hear a bit more about a few things..."

"I'll tell _you_ anything you want to know," Draco replied immediately as he turned his head just enough to look at Harry, trying very hard to ignore the way his face was burning. He just knew he was blushing all the way to the collar of his shirt, and when he blushed he got all blotchy. "Just so long as we're _alone_ when you ask, alright?"

Harry grinned. "Deal."

 

_~*~*~_

They spun a web for me, _  
_They spun a web for me,_  
 _They spun a web for me._ _

_~*~*~_

 

Almost a week after his experience with Veritaserum, Draco was sprawled on his stomach across his bed, theoretically studying for his History of Magic N.E.W.T.. He did have his History of Magic book in front of him, but there was a sheet of parchment laid on it and he hadn't looked at the book itself in almost an hour. The sheet of parchment had his History notes, such as they were, from that morning's class at the top, but if someone had taken the paper and asked what the notes said, he couldn't have told them.

He was completely absorbed in drawing with a pencil he had snitched from Harry. He had begun with just a sketch of Harry on his broom, but the Muggle pencil was so much more versatile than drawing with ink that he had soon branched out. First, he had added a tree line in the background, and then Hedwig and a moon, which had encouraged him to darken the sky and add stars. He had stared at that a bit, changing small details occasionally, then he had had an idea that made him grin and he began drawing below the rest of the sketch.

'Harry' was now flying above a dozen bodies, each wearing dark robes and Death Eater masks. Each body had turned out a bit differently as he experimented with shading, and he quite liked the effect. He was having such fun drawing with the pencil that he intended to have Harry show him the Muggle artist's supply shop he had mentioned. He could hardly wait to find out what other sorts of things Muggles had come up with. His father had always insisted that they were completely inferior, but Draco had finally realized Muggles must be rather ingenious to have accomplished as much as they had without the aid of magic.

To the casual observer, Draco would have seemed perfectly at ease as he laid there drawing, but anyone who knew him well would have noticed a dozen little things that indicated how nervous he was. The biggest tip-off was the fact that he was wearing his boots with his school uniform, including the robe, even though he was completely alone in his room. The room was also much too clean, and items such as the dagger and papers that normally littered his desk were conspicuously absent. There were no dirty clothes in the hamper and the bed was missing Draco's thick dark purple comforter, instead covered by one of the school-issue green blankets with a large Slytherin crest in silver. Overall his room looked as it usually did the last day of classes, after he had already packed away his things for the summer.

Draco had just set aside his drawing and was humming softly to himself as he started another sketch when the door to his room banged back against the wall loudly enough it made him jump. Draco grabbed his wand and rolled off the far side of his bed, scattering the pencil, scrolls, and notes across the floor.

Blaise stormed into the room and stopped next to Draco's bed, the pencil crunching underfoot as he stepped on it. He was fuming and had a reddened handprint on his cheek that contrasted sharply with how pale he was. "Draco, right now I could cheerfully flay you alive. Your father is _very_ unhappy with you _and_ your gorillas."

Draco rolled his eyes at that but he didn't attempt to speak as Blaise went on. "Your father _and_ mine are also both angry at _me_ for not making sure you left when I did, even though no one told me it was my bloody job to be your minder. I most definitely _will_ get you moving if that's what they want of me, though. Get up and get some decent robes on this instant! We've got to get those _numbskulls_ and be back at the Manor within _ten minutes!_ " Blaise whirled away, every movement making how completely livid he was even more obvious as he walked over to sit on the edge of Draco's desk.

Draco slowly rose, his wand pointing at Blaise as he said calmly, "I'm not going."

" _What_?!" Blaise exclaimed, straightening up again just as Greg stepped into the room and closed the door Blaise had left open. "You can't be _serious!_ The Dark Lord will be there in _half an hour_ and your father expects us to be there so he can present us to him!"

"Then the old bastard's going to be disappointed." Draco flicked the tip of his wand at Blaise as he added with almost palpable disdain, "It's going to take a lot more than a _bootlicker_ like _you_ to force me to go anywhere, Blaise."

Blaise straightened indignantly, his face flushing. "Stop acting the fool, Draco, and get into some decent robes."

"No," Draco replied, perfectly calm. "Toss your wand to Greg, or I'll have to disarm you." He paused for a moment, moving to stand near the foot of his bed while still keeping his wand on Blaise, then added, " _Carefully_ though, you wouldn't want us to think you're _trying_ anything. We both know I'm quite a bit better with a wand than you are."

Blaise stared at Draco for a long moment and then drew his wand carefully with two fingers and tossed it towards Greg, who only fumbled slightly as he caught it. "Your father will _kill_ you for this, Draco, and your pets, too." Blaise took a few steps towards Draco as he added nastily, "He'll probably give _you_ to the Lestranges first, though. I understand Rabastan has been asking about you. Rumor is he's looking to _marry_ this time though, not just sample the goods. Rabby quite enjoyed having his own pet Malfoy last summer, though from what I've heard _you_ didn't like it very much." Blaise sneered. "Was he too much man for you?"

Draco's expression hardened as he fought down the urge to make Blaise regret that remark. " _Stupefy!_ " Blaise collapsed bonelessly to the floor and Draco moved quickly towards his desk, kicking Blaise in the hip on his way by as he muttered, "Arsehole."

"Vince is waiting in the common room with Pansy and Millicent," Greg said then, watching Draco. "We need to get out of here. When he doesn't come back to the Manor they're sure to contact the others."

"I know, I _know_ ," Draco replied, hurriedly spelling open his desk drawer. He took out Harry's invisibility cloak and tossed it over his shoulder with one hand as he reached with the other hand to take out the last thing in the drawer. His hand reappeared a moment later with a folded piece of maroon linen that Draco had no doubt Harry had nicked from the Great Hall, since he had seen Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors using identical napkins every day for years. He quickly unfolded the napkin to reveal a rather long silver chain that had a simple pewter ring strung on it, then picked up the necklace and tucked the napkin into a pocket. He lifted the chain over his head, settling it around his neck as he looked at Greg and asked, "Did the others know why Blaise was coming in here?"

Greg nodded, his expression serious. "You'd better use that cloak, Pansy was gloating over how unhappy you'd be to be dragged out by the ear like a first year."

Draco growled and took the cloak off of his shoulder, swinging it open and over his shoulders in one smooth motion. "I will be so very _glad_ when the day finally comes I never have to see that bint again. Silence me so I won't be tempted to kill her."

Greg snickered and pointed his wand at Draco, muttering a silencing charm before he tucked his wand away and glanced around the room to see if they needed to take anything else. His gaze fell on Blaise's inert form after a moment and then he walked over to him, bending to grab Blaise by his collar and waistband and then dragging him none too carefully around to drop him behind the bed. Greg turned back towards Draco and the door then, grinning. "Now if they look in here, they'll likely move on his room the first time."

Draco laughed silently as he pulled the invisibility cloak up over his head and moved to the door, opening it and going out with Greg right behind him. He stepped aside as soon as he was in the hall, letting Greg go on ahead and then following him to the common room, which was deserted except for Pansy, Millicent, and Vince.

Pansy was sitting on the couch wearing her uniform skirt with a rather tight blouse that was unbuttoned to show off her cleavage. Millicent was seated next to her in school robes that did little for her tall athletic body and made the contrast between her build and Pansy’s petite form seem even more drastic. Vince was wearing school robes as well and sitting in a nearby chair with an expression on his face that made him look as though he were a simpleton, even though he wasn't.

Pansy and Millicent had been waiting for Draco to leave ever since Blaise had left for Malfoy Manor alone. They had ignored it when the rest of the House left for supper, electing to stay behind and watch for Draco as they discussed how the Death Eaters were going to react to his obvious unwillingness to go take the Mark. When Blaise came back in a huff with the handprint on his face they had been given even more to gossip about, and they had completely ignored Vince when he sat down nearby. Pansy and Millicent had come to the conclusion there was no way Draco was going to go without being forced, and had just begun discussing who might have to make him go when Greg walked in with an invisible Draco at his heels.

Pansy flipped her black hair back with a practiced toss of her head and asked haughtily, "Goyle, is His Highness going to get off his arse and go take it like a _man_ , or is he going to make the boys _drag_ him to the Floo?"

Greg shrugged as though he didn't care, walking towards the door. "I dunno. Blaise said that supper was already served at the Manor and Draco skipped lunch, so he told me to go get him a snack."

Millicent snickered. "Oh, I should start selling tickets right now! Watching the boys drag him into the Floo will be the _most_ fun!"

Vince stood up then as he said, "I'll go with you. I could stand a bite to eat, myself."

Greg nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the girls on the couch. "If he asks, we'll be right back."

"Whatever." Millicent gave him a vague wave and then she and Pansy went back to gossiping.

Greg opened the outer door and then paused to wait for Vince, giving Draco time to slip out into the hallway. Greg and Vince left the common room, closing the door, and Draco fell into step behind them towards the main stairway, touching them each on the shoulder to let them know he was there.

"Do we know where we're going?" Vince asked quietly.

Greg nodded, walking quickly as he answered, "We're going up to give Potter a message, then we're to go directly to Dumbledore's office."

"Oh." Vince was quiet a few moments as they walked along the deserted hallway that led to the main stairs, waiting until they had begun up the stairs to speak again. "What are we supposed to tell Potter?"

Draco snickered silently behind them, shaking his head as Greg said patiently, "We're not _really_ supposed to tell him anything, Vince. We just have to go pretend to talk to him so Draco can sneak into his room."

"Oh," Vince repeated, understanding dawning across his face. "Do we wait out in the hall for him?"

"Why would we have to wait?" Greg asked, surprised.

"Potter'll be in the Great Hall eating with everyone else," Vince replied, acting as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He won't be in the tower for us to pretend to talk to him yet."

Draco groaned and muttered silently to himself, "We _really_ should let Vince in on our plans more often."

Greg looked thoughtful for a few moments as they quickly climbed the stairs between the first and second floor, then said, "Well, I suppose we'll have to ask the Fat Lady if he's in there, and if he's not, we'll just have to wait outside."

As soon as Greg had suggested it, Draco realized that it would be a terrible idea for Greg and Vince to hang about in the hall by the Fat Lady. It would be _extremely_ conspicuous of them, and would positively scream where the Slytherin seventh years should go looking for Draco. That was definitely not something they wanted, so when they reached the second floor landing Draco put his hands on Greg's shoulders and got him to turn towards the door.

Greg went through the door and Vince followed him, both obviously confused even though neither hesitated to let Draco steer them along the hallway. Draco guided them straight to the narrow door near the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office. Draco knew the office and the tiny storeroom next to it would be empty because Professor Vance always took her meals with the other teachers, so he thought it was a convenient place to talk.

The three of them crowded into the storeroom, and then Draco closed the door and pulled off the cloak as Greg drew his wand, murmuring, "Lumos."

Greg and Vince both looked around the room curiously then, wondering why they were there, but Draco ignored their surroundings completely. He had ducked into this particular storeroom occasionally in fourth year while avoiding Mad-eye Moody so knew exactly what he would find if he looked around. The floor area of the tiny room was barely larger than one of the beds in the dormitories and had moldering old books on recessed shelves along the walls that looked as if they had been there for centuries.

Vince was the first to lose interest in looking around, turning to Draco as he asked, "Why did we come in here?"

"I'd tell you, but Greg silenced me so it would be a waste of time," Draco replied silently, bemused that they had forgotten so quickly that they couldn't hear him.

Greg laughed and ended the spell. "Sorry, Drake, I forgot."

"It's alright, Greg, no harm done," Draco said, smiling, then looked over at Vince. "And I brought you both here because it's a _very_ bad idea for you two to go lurk about the Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry to get back. Not only will that annoy almost every Gryffindor in the school, it will also as good as _shout_ where I've disappeared to. Since I fully intend to remain in school, having everyone know where I'll be hiding before I even get there isn't in my best interests."

Greg frowned at that, nodding thoughtfully. "Good point. Didn't think of that."

"I know," Draco said with a smirk. "You two go on to Dumbledore's office; the password is petit fours. I'll make my own way up to the tower and sneak in behind one of the Gryffindors like I usually do."

Greg nodded again, moving past Draco and Vince towards the door. "Do you want me to silence you again?"

"No Greg, if I'm to be waiting up there alone until dinner ends, I'd rather be able to use my wand if I need it." Draco pulled the cloak around his shoulders again. "Dumbledore is supposed to see to it that you both get to a safe house where Professor Lupin, my cousin Tonks, and the Weasley twins will keep an eye on you. You'll stay there until either the danger is over or until it's time to return to take your exams. They promised me that you'll be safe, but you won't have much freedom to roam, I'm afraid."

"We're not worried about roaming." Greg stopped with his hand on the door latch, looking at Draco's disembodied head. "I've been thinking about that. We might as well not even take the N.E.W.T.s, neither of us are going to get very many anyway."

Vince nodded, but Draco shook his head and replied firmly, "Well, you can just _forget_ that idea, you'll need all the credentials you can get. Voldemort and his pets aren't going to be out there forever and you'll need something to fall back on once we don't have to worry about him anymore. Even one or two will be better than none at all."

Draco didn't add that he intended to get all the N.E.W.T.s he possibly could. He was sure that Greg had figured that out already from the way he had begun studying borrowed notes in every free moment. Narcissa was completely loyal to Lucius and had control of the Malfoy fortune now that Lucius was in disgrace, which meant that Lucius still ran the Malfoy estate, just by proxy. Draco had never been allowed to have a key to the Malfoy family vault at Gringotts and knew quite well that the goblins wouldn't allow him to withdraw a single knut without one. That meant that Draco would have to either live on what money he had now or work for a living. He knew that what he had stowed away in his trunk wouldn't last more than a few months even if he went Muggle, so he wanted to have as many options as possible open to him for earning more.

Greg looked at Draco for a moment and then nodded. "We'll see you the day of the exams then." He paused, wanting to ask Draco something, then thought better of it. "Take care."

"I will," Draco replied as he the cloak up over his head, sure that Greg would ask whatever was on his mind eventually. "You two stay out of trouble."

"We will," Vince replied as Greg nodded and opened the door.

Draco slipped out behind them when they moved out into the hall, closing the storeroom door and watching them until they had reached the gargoyle at the far end of the hall. When it began to move, Draco turned away and headed quickly back towards the stairway, walking only a few yards before he realized how loud his boots were against the flagstones and paused. He thought about it for a moment, debating how to muffle the sound of his boots, and then drew his wand to cast a silencing charm on them to see if something so simple would work. He stomped against the flagstones to check and then smirked, tucking his wand away. He started towards the stairs again then and murmured to himself, "Should have just done _that_ to begin with. Now all I have to do is remember not to laugh at any of those barmy Gryffindors on my way through their common room."

The walk up to the Gryffindor tower was extended by two of the moving staircases, but Draco still reached the painting of the Fat Lady well before there was any traffic heading up from dinner. He settled into a comfortable slouch leaning back against the wall nearby to wait for someone to come along, thinking about how things would change now that his choice would become common knowledge. He fully expected the school to be teeming with gossip by curfew about his refusal to go home for his birthday, and he knew there would be trouble with the Slytherins. He had serious doubts that they would even allow him to make it to the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow without a fight, and he was in no hurry to make the attempt even though he had no doubt that things would go well. Harry was sure that his defense club would stand beside him, even with Draco in the mix, and Harry had assured him that they had nothing to fear from the Slytherins.

 _'_ _I wonder how long Dumbledore will allow me to stay up here? It's_ quite _against school rules, but then, so is most of what goes on in the Slytherin dorms these days._ _'_ Draco ran a fold of the cloak through his fingers, marveling slightly over the way the cloth felt like water. ' _I suppose it isn't so odd that he agreed when Harry said I'd be staying with him though, he seems to let Harry do pretty much as he likes. I wonder how much of that is because Harry just doesn't ask for permission, and how much is because Dumbledore finally understands Harry is better at countering Voldemort than he is? The old fool can be a_ serious _pain in the arse, but he usually does the right thing when it's needed, even if he drags his feet about it_ _.'_

Draco heard voices approaching then and looked up to watch as Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Dean walked towards him. He was soon frowning slightly at the way Dean was looking at Harry, listened intently when they finally moved into earshot

Dean was saying earnestly, "Come on Harry, you _know_ it'll be fun..."

"Dean, I'm not going to a party with you," Harry said patiently, ignoring the looks Dean was giving him. "I'm _taken_ , remember? Ask Seamus, or Colin."

"Seamus is going _with_ Colin," Dean replied, making a face. "And besides, you need to get out. You've gone from disappearing to staying in your room every night and that's even worse. Whoever that idiot you're dating is, he shouldn't leave you alone all the time."

Draco smirked, not at all surprised by the sudden little grin that appeared on Harry's face, and moved carefully away from the wall as the four Gryffindors reached the nearby painting. Harry had been spending hours every evening in his room during the last week, yes, but he hadn't been alone most of that time. Draco had been making good use of the invisibility cloak so that the two of them could study together between long, lazy make-out sessions that had taught them almost as much about each other as the hours they had spent talking.

Draco had learned quickly that Harry was very responsive to a loving touch and would have happily done anything for him, and Harry knew now that Draco wanted quite a lot more than sex from him. Draco had even admitted late Thursday night that he wanted to be able to stay the night when they made love the first time. He had admitted that he wanted Harry to be the first thing he saw when he woke up the morning afterwards, expecting to be teased about being a sap, but Harry had just kissed him and then asked if he knew how perfect he was.

After the rather extended snogging session that followed, Harry had explained to Draco that he had had sex with Dean often, but that he had only slept with him a few times because Dean didn't want to hold him or really even touch him after sex. Harry thought sex should be something special two people shared because they loved each other, even if only a little bit, but Dean said all that 'mushy shite' was for girls. Harry had hated feeling as if he wasn't welcome in the same bed with Dean, and it had soured him on staying in Dean's room or inviting Dean to stay in his.

Dean had, whether consciously or just because he was an unthinking prat, done quite a lot more that had made Harry feel as though he was only good for sex, but refusing to hold him had bothered Harry the most. Harry simply couldn't imagine liking someone well enough to shag them and call them your boyfriend and yet not wanting to hold them. He had constantly felt as if Dean wanted to shag him but otherwise didn't really like him. The fact that Dean had stopped talking to Harry after they broke up had just reinforced that feeling for Harry, and even after they finally began talking again Dean hadn't done anything to change Harry's mind.

Draco was determined after hearing the way Dean's macho posturing had affected Harry that Harry would never feel that way with him. He quite liked touching Harry anyway, so he made no attempt to curb his newly-discovered affectionate tendencies, trusting that Harry wouldn't mind being petted or kissed or just leaned against while they studied together. Draco was soon spending almost every free moment in Harry's rooms touching Harry in some way, and Harry was blossoming so obviously that half the school was gossiping about it. After it was realized that Harry was sporting fresh hickeys on his neck even though no one visited his room, at least two betting pools as to whom he was snogging were started. The 'Boy Who Lived to Mope' was obviously floating on cloud nine for the first time since Ron died, and Harry was asked at least a dozen times a day who had put the smile on his face.

Harry's voice jogged Draco out of his thoughts, and he couldn't help but smirk as Harry said, "Dean, I've _told_ you, I'm quite happy with the way things are between myself and my new boyfriend. We see eye to eye on much more than you and I ever did, and he really suits me much better. It's quite nice not to be told I'm acting like a girl every time I want a little affection." Draco smirked at the way Dean flinched at that, but Harry seemed not to notice it as he grinned at the Fat Lady and added, "Good evening, ma'am. Rutabaga."

The Fat Lady smiled. "Good evening, Harry. Hello Hermione, Ginny, Dean. Did you enjoy your dinner?"

There was a general chorus of agreement as the portrait swung open, then the four of them walked inside. Draco slipped in after them, careful not to make any noise as Dean asked, "If this bloke is so _great_ , then why won't you tell anybody who he is?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Harry answered with a little grin. "Until you do, you'll just have to take my word for it."

"And ours," Ginny said then, smirking. "It's always fun to see how much he loves Harry. You'd _never_ expect it."

Hermione giggled and nodded. "Or how _sappy_ they are together, they can be almost sickeningly sweet. It's really very adorable." Draco blushed and made a mental note to tease the girls a bit about their own relationship as Hermione added, "I never would have believed they could be such a good match until I saw it, but now I'm quite glad that they've got each other."

"I _still_ want to know why _you two_ get to know who it is," Dean said petulantly as the four of them walked towards the Prefects' rooms. "Why won't Harry tell _me_? I think I have a right to know."

"Oh yes, because everyone I've _ever_ dated must be given all of the details when I start dating someone new," Harry said, snorting loudly and then giving Dean a look that clearly said he was being stupid. "We'll have to go visit Professor Trelawney next, and have her tell Ron about you. He's sure to be _thrilled_ that I let you turn me into your own personal _bottom boy_."

Draco bit his lip rather hard to keep from laughing out loud. He was more than a little surprised that Harry could joke about Ron's death, but he was even more surprised when Hermione giggled while Ginny grinned and said, " _Good_ one, Harry! You tell him!"

Dean rolled his eyes and stopped. " _Fine_ then, keep him a secret. I'm going to go see if Justin will go with me. He and Mandy broke up again a few days ago and I hear he's been looking for a rebound to make her jealous."

"Have fun," Harry replied, his tone so perfectly unconcerned that Draco had to smirk while Ginny and Hermione turned away again to hide their grins from Dean. "See you tomorrow, if I'm here. I might go spend the weekend in London."

Hermione and Ginny grinned at each other and then continued down the hallway as Dean gave Harry a surprised look, asking, "Does your boyfriend live in London?"

"Now _why_ would I want to answer that?" Harry replied, grinning suddenly as he turned away and started after Hermione and Ginny. "Have fun."

Draco started after Harry, smirking as Dean turned towards the door again and muttered, "I was a damn _fool_."

Draco resisted the urge to agree with him, following Harry down the hall towards Ginny's room, which Draco had learned that Hermione supposedly shared with her because there was a dreadful draft from the fireplace in the room normally reserved for the Head Girl. Harry had waited until after Hermione and Ginny left his room that night to tell him it had taken Hermione weeks to make her fireplace drafty enough that Ginny noticed. Hermione had given herself a dreadful cold in the process, but Ginny had been only too happy to keep her warm while she recovered.

Draco stepped into the doorway just as he heard a shriek of laughter, which he had discovered was a rather normal occurrence when Ginny had Hermione in reasonable privacy. Ginny quite liked to make Hermione laugh and she had discovered early that she could get Hermione to laugh anytime she liked simply by tickling her. Being reduced to a helplessly giggling puddle embarrassed Hermione rather dreadfully in public, so Ginny usually behaved herself until they were in Harry's room or their own. In the last few days Draco had graduated from 'public' to 'friend', and he had been allowed to watch and snicker with Harry several times.

Draco grinned and lounged against the doorjamb, watching as Hermione tried to avoid Ginny's tickling even though that only encouraged Ginny to take more drastic measures. Ginny pushed Hermione down on their bed, as usual completely unmindful of the fact they were both in skirts as she climbed up on the bed as well to pin Hermione down, baring quite a lot of leg. She sat on Hermione's thighs and began to tickle her in earnest while Harry stood a few feet inside the door, laughing.

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped between giggles, pushing weakly at Ginny's belly in an attempt to get her to let her up. She was giggling too hard to really do anything effective, which obviously suited Ginny just fine. She quite enjoyed having Hermione on her back squirming around under her, and didn't care who knew it as long as no one told her Mum. Ginny still hadn't figured out how to explain to Molly that her only daughter was utterly in love with another girl. 

Draco soon tired of watching the girls play and turned his attention to Harry, who was still laughing. Draco stepped into the room, closing the door carefully before he shrugged out of the cloak. He moved over to Harry then, making Harry jump when Draco slid his arms around him from behind.

Draco grinned and kissed Harry's cheek as Harry laughed softly and turned his head to look at Draco, smiling. " _Merlin_ , you _startled_ me."

Ginny looked over towards the door and then stopped tickling Hermione to watch Harry and Draco instead while Hermione giggled, hiccupping slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

Draco smirked at Harry, both of them oblivious to their audience as Draco tightened his arms around Harry, pulling him back against his chest. "I'd expected you to call me Drake, but I suppose you can call me _Merlin_ if you like. Bit kinky, though."

Harry laughed and kissed Draco's jaw, leaning back against him comfortably and laying his hands over Draco's where they rested on his belly. "What are you doing here?"

Draco shrugged, his smirk fading into a smile. "It's Friday, and the shite has hit the proverbial fan." He laughed, adding, "Though I've never quite understood why one would be fanning shite."

Ginny giggled at that as Harry's eyes widened slightly, his grin disappearing. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, all to plan," Draco reassured him quickly, smiling. "Blaise is going to be rather unhappy when he wakes up and might have a bruise or two because Greg was less than careful when he hid him, but he didn't give us any real problem." Draco smirked again. "He's got a rather nice handprint on his face, though, which I gather he got from Father. Pissing Malfoys off is a rather Blaise thing to do, I gather."

Ginny and Hermione both snickered while Harry, who was still concerned, asked, "Did the others get away okay?"

"Yes, they did," Draco replied, nodding. "I made sure they reached Dumbledore's office and got past the gargoyle before I left them."

Harry smiled again, relieved. "Great, they should be at Grimmauld Place within the hour then."

Draco nodded again and then pouted artfully as he added, "But now I've got nowhere to sleep for the night. It's a sad, _sad_ day. A Malfoy is reduced to being a homeless vagabond."

Harry laughed then as Hermione teased, "You could always stay in London with Gregory and Vincent. There are quite a lot of empty rooms there and you would be perfectly safe."

Draco looked over at Hermione with an innocent smile, his pale blue eyes wide and guileless. "But _then_ we couldn't trick the Munchlings here into revealing themselves. That's _much_ too important for me to muck it up just so I can have my own room again."

Ginny and Harry both snickered while Hermione sniffed and said, "Draco, _honestly_ , you can't pull off the innocent look at all. We _all_ know you just want an excuse to sleep with Harry."

Draco smirked again, shrugging one shoulder a bit. "He seems like he'd be very nice to sleep with." Draco nuzzled Harry's ear and murmured more quietly, "I _know_ he's quite wonderful to hold."

Harry looked down with a little grin at where his hands rested on Draco's as Ginny smirked and said, "Nobody's denying that Harry's eminently shaggable, Drake. It's your innocent act we don't believe."

Harry blushed, looking up with a shocked expression. " _Ginny_!"

"But I'm such a _gentleman_!" Draco protested, trying not to laugh at the leer Ginny was giving Harry. "Why can't my motives be sweet and innocent?!"

Ginny burst out laughing at that as Hermione giggled and said, "You can be quite sweet, Draco, no one is denying that, but you're _almost_ as innocent as Harry is. I love him dearly, but he’s truly not very innocent at all."

Draco's eyebrows went up and he smirked suddenly at Harry, whose blush was just beginning to fade from Ginny's last comment. "Mmm, tonight should be _fun_."

Harry's eyes widened and then he blushed again, making Ginny laugh even harder.

Hermione giggled and said, "Just so the fun starts _after_ you're in Harry's room. There are some things I don't want know about either of you."

"We'll be good in here." Draco's smirk turned positively wicked as he nuzzled Harry's ear again then and asked more softly, "But are you ready to go to our room?"

Harry purposefully didn't look at Ginny or Hermione, his cheeks still quite red even though he couldn't help a little bit of a grin at hearing 'our room' from Draco. "I could be persuaded."

Hermione and Ginny watched as Draco nibbled delicately at Harry's earlobe before licking slowly along the curve at the back of his ear. Harry's eyelids fluttered closed after a moment and he let out a soft sound, then Draco whispered into his ear too quietly for the girls to hear, "I'll make a meal out of you once we're alone, if you'll let me."

Harry swallowed hard as Draco nuzzled behind his ear, then he opened his mouth to tell Draco he'd have to work for it just as Draco kissed the sensitive spot below the corner of Harry's jaw that always made Harry melt so satisfactorily. Harry shuddered and felt his knees go weak as Draco sucked gently at his throat, tipping his head to the side to give Draco easier access as he completely forgot what he had intended to say and instead half-moaned, "Drake..."

"I'm right here," Draco whispered against the soft skin of Harry's throat, then gently bit down on a reddened spot still there from the night before.

Draco chuckled knowingly when Harry shuddered again, his knees buckling a bit as he tightened his grip on Draco’s arms and leaned his head back on Draco's shoulder. He started slowly stroking Draco's arms a moment later as he relaxed back against Draco’s chest and let him do whatever he wanted. The fact that Hermione and Ginny were most certainly watching them didn't even occur to him; he was so absorbed in what Draco was doing that he wouldn’t have cared if half the school were watching.

"Harry," Ginny said after another moment, smirking, "it's no _wonder_ Dean's been following you around all week. You're so easy it's _scary_."

Harry blushed very red and quickly lifted his head off of Draco's shoulder, pulling away from him in embarrassment.

Hermione giggled, swatting at Ginny's thigh. " _Ginny_ , that's not _nice_."

"But it's true!" Ginny replied with a giggle of her own. "Draco just kissed his neck, and Harry turned to _putty_. I'd love to see what happened if Draco actually did anything _interesting_. Harry would probably cream his pants."

Harry's eyes widened, his blush deepening even further as he said, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that."

Ginny just snickered.

Draco rubbed his cheek against Harry's, running one hand down Harry's belly towards his crotch as he corrected Ginny with a wicked little grin, "He doesn't go _completely_ boneless, Gin. He just loses his knees."

Harry stopped Draco's hand, his face flaming as he turned his head enough to look at Draco. "Drake, no."

Draco pouted. "But, Harry, I just want to play a bit."

"So we'll go to our room," Harry replied, resisting the urge to kiss Draco's pout away. "Where we'll not have Ginny having a go at trying to make me blush all the way to my _toes_."

"Which is _always_ fun," Ginny said with a grin, "but you know I only do it because I love you."

Harry snorted, giving her a dirty look. "You only do it because you _get away with it,_ you mean."

Ginny grinned wider, completely unrepentant. "Yes, well, that too."

Draco chuckled and then kissed Harry's cheek. "I'll be good." He let go of Harry and moved over to where he had dropped the invisibility cloak, bending to pick it up while Harry and Ginny watched him with obvious interest. When Draco straightened and turned back towards them he raised an eyebrow, asking, "Why are you both looking at me?"

"You've quite the _nice_ arse," Ginny replied with a smirk, making Hermione roll her eyes as Harry gave Draco a little grin and nodded in silent agreement.

Draco laughed, his blue eyes twinkling as he swung the invisibility cloak around his shoulders without bothering to close the front. "Do you think I qualify as eye-candy, Harry?"

"Most definitely," Harry replied, his grin widening as he moved towards the door. "And if you can make the _school uniform_ look that good, I can't _wait_ to see you in something that suits you."

Draco smirked, looking down at what parts of himself weren't invisible as he straightened his tie. "I _do_ make this look rather dashing, don't I?"

Ginny laughed. "Harry, I don't think feeding _that_ ego is the best idea you've had today."

"His ego _can't_ get any worse than _yours_ ," Harry replied immediately, grinning at Ginny and reaching for the doorknob just as Draco disappeared under the cloak.

"Mine!?" Ginny exclaimed indignantly, making Hermione giggle.

Harry nodded, smirking. "Yes, _yours_. 'Mione's so gone on you, she's got you thinking you walk on water."

Hermione giggled even harder at the way Ginny snorted, folding her arms across her chest. "Just _wait,_ Harry, I'll get you for that one when you _least_ expect it."

"I have no doubt," Harry replied, laughing as he opened the door, then his eyes went wide and he looked at the doorjamb in front of him, blushing. "I'm going bed now. Good night."

"Good night," Hermione replied, still giggling as she looked towards the door. "Remember your wards."

The expression on Harry's face made Ginny quite sure that Draco was doing something dodgy, so she began looking more intently at Harry, trying to figure out what it was. Harry's eyes were still a little wide and he seemed to be trying to keep his body turned away from her and Hermione as he nodded quickly, glancing back at the girls. "I will, first thing."

The material of Harry's trousers began moving against his crotch seemingly of it’s own accord then and Ginny smirked as she said, "Good night, Harry. Enjoy yourself."

"Oh, he will," Draco's voice said, sounding quite smug.

Harry nodded quickly, swallowing as he twisted away from Draco's hand. He looked at Hermione and Ginny then, trying to ignore the way his face was flaming as he asked, "Wake us up for breakfast?"

Hermione nodded, looking a bit confused. "I will."

Ginny snickered as Harry squeaked and jumped as though someone had done something unexpected to his arse, then he said quickly, "See you then!"

The door had barely closed behind Harry when Hermione looked up at Ginny, resting her hands on Ginny's thighs as she asked, "Why was he just acting so oddly?"

Ginny smirked, bracing her hands on either side of Hermione's head and leaning forward as she looked down into Hermione's eyes. "Draco had himself a rather sensitive handful, and Harry was just a bit distracted."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You're _joking_."

"Nope," Ginny replied as she began to lower her head towards Hermione, grinning. "I couldn't see his hand, but I _definitely_ saw the results."

"And _why_ were you staring at Harry's ... _results_?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at Ginny as she absently ran her hands up Ginny's thighs, sliding her skirt up higher.

Ginny smirked again, lowering her head to nuzzle Hermione's cheek. "Is somebody just a _little_ _bit_ jealous?"

"Maybe," Hermione replied with a pout, turning her face away and acting unhappy even though she knew Ginny wasn't really going to make a move on Harry.

Ginny loved Harry quite a lot and thought he was, as she had been known to say rather often, 'sex on a stick', but it was never going to go beyond cuddling and flirting. Even Draco had quickly picked up on that and soon participated as naturally as if they had always been friends, teasing Ginny at least as much as she teased the others. Other people were not as certain of Ginny’s intentions as Harry, Draco, and Hermione were, but then, what other people thought really didn't matter to any of them. They knew that any playing about would never go past teasing and flirting no matter how closely Ginny skirted the line between friends and lovers, and that was all that was important to them.

Ginny trailed feather light kisses along Hermione's jaw, red-gold hair brushing against Hermione's face, then she nuzzled Hermione's ear as she whispered, "You shouldn't be, he's _so_ not my type."

Hermione turned her head back towards Ginny, half-smiling. "Are you sure? He used to be."

Ginny smiled, looking into Hermione's eyes. "A hundred percent certain. His name's not 'Hermione'."

Hermione returned the smile. "I love you, too."

"I know," Ginny replied with a sudden smirk, making Hermione giggle before Ginny silenced her with a kiss.

 

 


	3. Yellow

 

Harry had barely closed Hermione's door when Draco moved closer and opened the invisibility cloak to swing it around Harry's body as well, causing him to disappear from the neck down.

Dean stopped at the end of the hall, his eyes going wide as he got a glimpse of Harry's head and pale blond hair just before Draco flipped the cloak up over their heads and they both disappeared. Dean stood frozen in the shadows at the end of the hallway, watching in shock even though he couldn't see anything. He heard a little surprised exclamation he recognized as Harry's voice and then a muffled thud and a low growl that sounded somehow teasing, followed by a soft murmur he couldn't make out. A moment later a familiar laugh was followed by what he recognized as Harry's voice.

"Drake, not in the _hallway_!"

Dean closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he realized he really _had_ seen Draco Malfoy under Harry's cloak, the same cloak Harry had often refused to use when _Dean_ had wanted to sneak around. He couldn't count the number of times Harry had told him that he wouldn't use it unless he had to and that he simply would not loan it out to anyone, not even Dean. Evidently Draco rated quite a bit higher and was worth the use of Harry's treasured cloak.

There was a long moment of near-silence punctuated only by a low needy moan, then Dean heard a voice he was fairly sure he would have recognized as Draco even if he hadn't already been sure it was him. "Then get your _lovely_ arse in our room so we can shag in peace."

Dean flinched again at hearing Draco say 'our room', remembering that Harry had never even hinted either of them should move into the other's room. Other than a very few times he'd just been too tired to walk to his room, Harry hadn't ever wanted to stay the night with Dean, though the invitation had always been open. Dean knew that Harry had said repeatedly that he wanted more emotionally from him than he had gotten, but he still didn't really understand what it was Harry wanted. He liked Harry and thought that should have been enough for him.

"I would," Harry's voice suddenly replied to Draco, "if you'd stop _pinning_ me to the _wall_." Harry sounded amused and more than a bit breathless, and Dean realized that they had most likely been snogging the entire time he was thinking.

That made him think about the way Harry had constantly wanted to just cuddle and kiss when they first got together. He recalled one time in particular that Harry had come to him in the common room while he was talking to Seamus, not saying a word or getting in the way, just sitting on the couch next to Dean and leaning against his side. Seamus had teased him about his 'girlfriend' after a few minutes and Dean had replied that he didn't date girls because he hated all of that 'sappy shite'. He had asked Harry then if he was horny or just bored, and Harry had replied that he was bored. Harry hadn't acted as though he was upset then when Dean suggested he go play chess with Ginny, but Dean realized now that he hadn't tried to get close to him very many times after that.

Now Harry was with someone else, and Dean felt his face heat up as he realized it was his own fault Harry hadn't wanted to stay with him. Harry -- and Ginny, who had bawled Dean out quite a few times when Harry wasn't around -- had told him a hundred times that Harry needed Dean to be more affectionate, but he had resisted. He'd thought that Harry would get used to it and learn to be happy without it, but evidently he had been very wrong. Ginny had always told him that he was a bastard to Harry and he hadn’t ever really thought that was fair of her, but now he had to wonder. If it was so important to Harry that he would ask for it, maybe Dean really had been selfish to ignore it.

Draco laughed then, distracting Dean from his thoughts and making him wonder what Harry had said or done. Dean listened intently and watched the seemingly empty hallway through a long stretch of silence, then Harry's door opened suddenly. There was another pause before the door swung nearly closed, then suddenly opened again as Draco stuck his very visible head back out into the hall, smirking, and called cheerfully, "Oh and Dean? Justin won't go to that party with you, he and Mandy are visiting her parents this weekend to announce their engagement. You might try Derek Fenton, he's enough of a slut to go with you."

Dean glared at Draco as he clearly heard Harry's voice exclaim, "Drake, that was _mean!_ "

Draco pulled his head back into the room, still smirking as he replied, "No Harry, simple truth. Derek's _always_ up for a meaningless sha--" The rest of whatever Draco said was cut off abruptly when Harry's door closed.

Dean stared at the closed door in silence for a bit, thinking about how very stupid he had been and wondering if Draco would make the same mistakes. Eventually he decided that Draco probably wouldn't. Draco had a reputation for being a bit of a nancy-boy, and a bottom to boot, and to Dean's way of thinking that meant he was more than a little girly. He had also seen with his own eyes on more than one occasion that Draco was completely shameless, so he doubted that Harry could truly embarrass Draco by getting too sappy. Then, of course, was the fact he just couldn't see Harry allowing Draco into his life unless Harry knew first that Draco was able to give Harry what he needed: love and complete commitment. Ginny had told Dean that Harry needed exactly that a hundred times, often while kicking him in the shins or cuffing the back of his head.

 _'_ _Which I should have given to him_ ,' Dean thought as he looked down at the floor. ' _I_ could _have given him_ _all he wanted, it wouldn't have been so difficult. He never asked me for much, just a little affection. He's been through so much, lost so much, and all he wanted_ _was_ _for me to show him and everyone else that I cared about him. I could have done it so easily..._ _'_ He sighed softly and pushed away from the wall. ' _Could have and should have won't do any good now though. He's moved on, and I suppose I have to as well._ _'_

Dean quietly walked the short distance back to his own room, going inside and closing the door behind him. Going to the party suddenly seemed much less important than it had an hour ago. He hated to go to things like that alone.

 

*~*~*

Look at the stars, _  
_Look how they shine for you,_  
 _And everything you do,_  
 _Yeah, they were all yellow._ _

*~*~*

 

"-- meaningless shag, Harry. Dean hasn't got the brains to look for more."

"Drake, that was a _bit_ harsh, don't you think?" Harry asked, giving Draco a reproachful look. "Dean is very intelligent, he just doesn't think sometimes." He didn't add how much that particular trait of Dean's reminded him of Ron. Draco already knew that Harry had begun dating Dean mostly because Dean and Ron were so alike.

"Intelligence is _worthless_ if you haven't the good sense to think before you act," Draco replied calmly, moving closer to Harry to rest his hands on Harry's waist. "Derek's just the type to be shagging his best friend while 'dating' someone else, so Dean should be about his speed."

"But it wasn't nice to have _said_ so," Harry murmured, still looking a bit unhappy. "Dean is one of my closest friends, even now, and I want you to be friends with him too."

Draco snorted. "I won't lie to you and pretend I sympathize with him, _or_ apologize for thinking he's a fool. I'll not think differently of him until I see some indication he's learned to think a bit instead of just following his prick."

Harry sighed and then said quietly, "I'd never break up with you for him. You don't need to dislike him just because he and I used to shag."

Draco looked surprised, then laughed and kissed Harry quickly before smiling at him as he said, "Harry, I'm not jealous of him _or_ worried that you'd go back to him."

"Then why do you hate him?" Harry asked, confused. "You barely know him, other than the fact he's one of my friends."

"I _dislike_ him because he hurt you just so he could shag _Finnegan_ ," Draco answered with a soft smile, lifting one hand to stroke Harry's cheek. "I'd not be _impressed_ by him no matter who he had cheated on Harry, but the fact it was _you_ just makes me that much more certain he's got a pronounced lack of common sense."

Harry looked into Draco's eyes for several moments before he suddenly asked, "How long have you liked me, Draco?"

Draco smiled and leaned in to kiss Harry gently, lingering as Harry returned the kiss. He finally pulled away a bit to murmur against Harry's lips, "Rather longer than I want to admit, really. I've wasted quite a lot of time trying to make you as miserable as I was when I should have been being happy _with_ you instead."

Harry smiled and kissed him quickly, and his eyes were soft and shining with love he hadn't yet dared to really admit to. "We both have, but now we can make up for lost time."

Draco's smile suddenly shifted into a wicked little grin as he lifted one hand to remove Harry's glasses, then tossed them onto the bedside table. "Then we're wearing _way_ too many clothes."

Harry laughed softly at that and opened his mouth to agree, but Draco was quick to silence him with a kiss. Harry made a soft pleased sound and they swayed closer together, their hands already roaming as they began to undress each other.

 

*~*~*

I came along, _  
_I wrote a song for you,_  
 _And all the things you do,_  
 _And it was called "Yellow."_ _

*~*~*

 

Ginny slid one hand into Hermione's open shirt to cup her breast as she slowly ran the tip of her tongue along the curve of Hermione's ear, making her shiver. Ginny's sharp teeth closed gently on Hermione's earlobe a moment later and Hermione let out a breathy little moan as her hands tightened on Ginny's hips. Ginny's lips curved in a little smirk and she nuzzled Hermione's ear, blowing gently across the damp skin before she licked and nibbled at her earlobe again. Her thumb lightly stroked over a lace-covered nipple a moment later, causing Hermione to arch her back as her hands slid up Ginny's sides to tug at her jumper.

"Gin, take this off," Hermione murmured. "I want to feel you."

"Mm, yes." Ginny gave the soft little hollow below Hermione's ear one last lick and then sat up, gazing down into Hermione's eyes. She lifted both hands to her jumper, pulling it up and off quickly before she moved her hands to begin unbuttoning her simple uniform blouse. Hermione reached up to tug Ginny's blouse free of the waistband of her skirt and then began to help unbutton it, her fingers deft and sure on the buttons. Ginny shrugged out of the confining material soon after that, letting it fall across Hermione's knees behind her.

Hermione moved her hands to Ginny's waist then, her fingertips ghosting along lines of muscle before she slowly ran her hands up over Ginny's smooth, firm body. She watched the path her hands took for a moment, her brown eyes soft and luminous, then lifted her gaze to Ginny's face and whispered softly, "I could look at you for hours." Hermione palmed Ginny's small, high breasts as she added, "You're beautiful."

"Only to you," Ginny replied, smiling even though her cheeks pinked a bit as she reached for Hermione's blouse to finish unfastening it as well.

"All the things you can say or do and just _smirk_ , and yet even after seven months I can say two words and you'll blush," Hermione said teasingly, smiling as she pinched Ginny's nipples. Ginny squirmed and arched into her touch as she licked at her lips but she didn't otherwise respond, trying to concentrate on removing the rest of Hermione's clothes. "I should think you'd be used to me telling you that you're beautiful by now."

Ginny blushed even further as she finished with Hermione's blouse and tugged at the button of her skirt, unzipping it as she murmured, "I don't think I'll ever be used to it. I'm not."

"You are to me," Hermione replied immediately, just as she always did when Ginny said that. They had a conversation very similar to this one several times a week, and Hermione was determined to keep telling Ginny she was beautiful until Ginny believed her.

Ginny would never have admitted it, not even to herself, but she loved to hear Hermione tell her she was beautiful. She knew that she was quite unlike most girls with muscle and bone in the places she was supposed to have soft curves. She couldn't help the way her body had matured when she finally began to shoot up in her fifth year amidst daily Quidditch practice, growing leggy and muscled up when other girls were getting curvy and sexy. Ginny had always been told she looked like the twins when she was younger, and then suddenly one day she was almost as tall as Bill and still androgynous enough to pass as a boy if she tried. Realizing that she was in love with one of her best friends definitely hadn't helped, but the fact that the friend just happened to be a girl had been icing on the cake.

Hermione stroked her hands down Ginny's sides as she repeated, "I love to look at you." Ginny's cheeks were flushed bright red under her freckles but she didn't say anything, so Hermione took the opportunity to add, "I love how athletic and graceful you are."

"Athletic is just another word for _boyish_." Ginny tugged at Hermione's skirt as Hermione helpfully wriggled under her to let her pull it up. "Everyone knows boys aren't beautiful."

"I don't like _boys_ as you well know," Hermione replied as she sat up, "so I think I might notice if you were boyish." She shrugged out of her open blouse and then allowed Ginny to tug her skirt up and off, leaving Hermione naked but for her sensible cotton panties and a lacy scrap of material that passed for a bra.

Hermione knew that being built very similar to a boy was one of the things Ginny thought least attractive about herself. Until Hermione took him aside and told him off, George had spent most of Ginny's fifth year joking whenever he saw her that she was the youngest Weasley boy who had just been given the wrong plumbing. George had been truly sorry when Hermione told him how much it hurt Ginny, who was having a hard time then anyway, but the damage had already been done.

George's teasing, light-hearted as it might have been intended, really got to Ginny because lot of the time that was how she felt. She simply did not enjoy most things girls were supposed to like. She liked to wrestle and to play Quidditch, and she enjoyed playing pranks and talking dirty almost as much as she liked teasing Harry. She led when she danced, was more than a little possessive of Hermione if anyone dared to flirt with her, and she had been known to loom and snarl a bit when boys got too close, much to Hermione's amusement. Ginny had thought she was something of a freak until Hermione educated her about Muggle sexuality and lesbianism in particular, a subject Hermione had found an interest in while doing research after Harry told her he was queer.

Hermione slid her arms around Ginny's waist and then leaned forward to nuzzle her throat, smiling. "You are slim, and graceful, and athletic," she murmured against Ginny's skin before she licked and sucked gently at what she knew to be a particularly sensitive spot, causing Ginny to tip her head to the side a bit and lean closer, wordlessly asking for more. Hermione nuzzled Ginny's neck, lips curved into a little smirk. "But, you haven't got the dangly bits to be a boy, and," her hands slid down over the curve of Ginny's arse, "you've got curves in all the right places."

Ginny giggled and lifted one hand to stroke Hermione's hair as she reached around and skillfully unfastened Hermione's bra with the other hand. "Small curves, but they _are_ where they belong at least. None up 'round my ears or on my elbows."

Hermione nipped Ginny's collarbone and then pulled back to look into Ginny's eyes as she removed her bra the rest of the way. "You have very nice curves that are just perfect."

Ginny looked into Hermione's eyes for a moment and then said softly, "I love you."

Hermione smiled. "I know."

 

~*~*~

So then I took my turn,   
Oh what a thing to've done,  
And it was all yellow.

~*~*~

 

During the previous week, Draco had spent every moment that he possibly could with Harry, which often meant that he was with Hermione and Ginny as well. Draco had discovered that he quite liked at least one Weasley and learned a goodly bit about Harry's romantic past through Ginny's blunt honesty.

Draco had quickly discovered Ginny wasn't ashamed to discuss anything he was willing to ask, which led to quite a bit of blushing for Hermione and even Harry. The reddest they had gotten so far had been on Tuesday evening, when Ginny and Draco had begun a discussion of which sort of lube was more fun. That topic had sent Harry and Hermione running for the library with a quickly made-up excuse that they needed to find another source for Hermione's extra-credit treatise on healing charms.

Once Draco and Ginny had stopped laughing at Harry and Hermione's precipitous escape, Ginny had started a more serious discussion about Harry and his old boyfriends. She began by telling Draco more of how things had been between Harry and Ron, including the fact they had never really done anything beyond a little fairly innocent kissing. She went on to add that Harry had briefly dated several boys before Dean, giving Harry a bit of experience but not what he really needed. Ginny thought the boys had treated Harry reasonably well, at least up until Dean, but they weren't serious about sex like Harry was and he hadn't dated any of them for long. Ginny had asked Draco then if he and Harry had shagged yet, and when he said they hadn't she had kissed Draco's cheek and called him a sweetheart.

Draco had been a bit confused by that so Ginny explained that Harry's boyfriends, other than Ron, seemed to have all been cut from Dean's sort of cloth. Harry had been spending a lot of time alone during the term, even while theoretically dating someone, because he hadn't been made to feel loved by any of them. She was very glad Draco was different, and made sure that Draco knew she thought Draco was good for Harry so she was definitely on his side. Draco had admitted to her then that Harry's romantic past was very similar to his own, except he had wanted it to be that way because he couldn't trust anyone. He thought Harry had too soft and trusting a heart for his own good, and the fact he had a simply gorgeous body and fame to boot meant that he was bound to draw attention from the wrong sort. It didn't help at all that, in Draco's opinion at least, Harry seemed to have inordinately bad taste in boys.

Ginny hadn't been able to resist teasing him for that remark and had pointed out that most of Harry's friends would agree with Draco, but would lump him into that 'bad choice' category right at the top of the list. Draco had pretended not to hear her, instead commenting that it seemed like a great waste for Harry to be with anyone who didn't treasure him. Harry and Hermione had returned then, hoping that the two of them would have the embarrassing talk out of the way, and Ginny had promptly declared to them that Draco was her honorary brother. Harry had beamed at that declaration and given Draco a kiss that curled his toes and made Ginny whistle appreciatively, and Draco's determination that he wasn't going to treat Harry like his other boyfriends had grown just a bit stronger.

Draco thought that Harry, who was so obviously starved for affection that even just a smile would make him beam as if Draco had given him half of Gringotts, deserved to have someone take the time to just enjoy being with him. Draco quite liked to spend time with Harry and his 'sisters' and he intended to be that someone. It was much more than a point of pride to Draco, so he had made it his priority to show Harry just how he felt about him at every opportunity. The fact Draco could do so just by dropping his usual facade and being completely honest was just an incidental benefit.

Judging by Harry's responses, Draco was doing a very good job. Harry had quickly relaxed into letting himself enjoy the affection Draco gave him, returning it at every opportunity. Even though they hadn't actually had sex yet, they had done everything else and were very comfortable with each other, content to spend hours together just talking and touching between lingering kisses. They often leaned against each other while they studied during the evenings and sometimes they laid aside the books to just cuddle while talking about whatever went through their heads. Draco had learned quite a lot about Harry in the last week and every little thing he learned made him want to know that much more. Ginny teasingly said it was because he was so completely gone on Harry, but whatever the reason, Harry fascinated him as no one else ever had.

Draco had grown to feel as though he truly belonged in Harry's room and his life during the last week, and was learning that he liked many things he had never really dared to try before. He had discovered it was very enjoyable to be able to laugh, tease, cuddle, and completely let his guard down even though he was not alone. He'd found himself realizing that his wand was across the room a dozen times, and that he still felt completely safe and at home, and he liked that feeling of freedom that gave him. For the first time in his life he found himself feeling as though a girl, a Weasley even, was someone he would trust with his life. Ginny was smart and funny and intensely loyal, and she obviously liked Draco quite a bit, treating him as one of her brothers and including him in the teasing affection that she gave to those she loved.

The fact that Ginny had become one of the best friends he could ever remember having was not Draco's most surprising realization during the last week though, far from it. The change that surprised him the most was such an intensely personal one that he hadn't even dared to really think too hard about yet, much less admit to anyone else. He might eventually have to discuss it with Ginny, if only to get his own thoughts straight, but if he did, he wanted have that talk while they were alone. Some of the things he would have to admit to in order to tell her what had changed were a little embarrassing even to him, and he just didn't want to have Hermione try and butt in with advice when he tried to talk about it. Ginny would listen if he got the nerve to talk to her about it, and she would give him advice that was founded in her rather intimate knowledge of Harry.

Draco's new realization was a rather simple one, really, but it said something very important about the way his life was changing. He had taken the dominant role in relationships from the first time an older boy propositioned him because he hadn't trusted anyone enough to give up control of what happened to them. He had mastered the art of topping from the bottom long before his sixteenth birthday, and he had happily earned a reputation as a very pushy bottom that liked variety. Boys he shagged learned quickly that if they didn't do exactly as Draco liked, they'd not get near him again and would likely wind up in detention as well the next time he caught them breaking the rules.

When Draco had leapt into a relationship with Harry, it was the first time he had ever become involved with anyone because he cared about them. He hadn't really thought about exactly which of them would be dominant until one of his talks with Ginny, when she pointed out that Harry was used to being a fairly submissive bottom. That was something that Draco never would have believed Harry could be until he had actually seen it for himself. Draco thought that Harry's submissive streak had probably begun as a power trip for one of his previous boyfriends, and that Dean's habit of pushing Harry away unless he wanted to shag him had only complicated it. Dean liked to top and he hated to cuddle and Harry hadn't argued with him over either one nearly as much as he should have.

Doing anything more than making out with Harry had been an adventure in more ways than Draco had expected. The first night that all of their clothes made it into the floor, Draco had given Harry a dozen opportunities to take over only for them to be ignored until Draco decided he would have to be very blunt. He had pinned Harry to the bed and then sat on his chest while he explained in very small words that he wanted Harry to be completely open with him and never hold back. Draco had then moved away and told Harry that either Harry could start doing that or Draco could go, because he refused to dominate Harry just because Harry had become convinced people should push him about in bed.

Harry had argued then that they should be equals and that he didn't want Draco to restrain himself either, especially not in bed. That suited Draco fine and he had said so, but he had made sure to point out that being equals did not involve him always taking the lead. Harry had teased him about stating the obvious then, so Draco had pointed out all of the opportunities he'd given Harry to take over and the fact Harry hadn't taken advantage of any of them. Harry had blushed and mumbled something about not wanting to scare him off, and Draco hadn't been able to resist a smirk as he replied that Harry couldn't get rid of him if he tried. Harry had tried not to hold back after that, and Draco hadn't quite been prepared for what he felt when Harry pinned him down a little while later and proceeded to explore.

Draco was normally a very strong-willed person, but there was something liberating in feeling safe enough with someone to surrender completely. Harry seemed to have very good instincts for finding all of Draco's most sensitive places and his single-minded attention to Draco's pleasure made it very easy for Draco to forget everything else. The fact that Harry was willing, playful, and enthusiastic about finding every single way he could drive Draco crazy just insured that Draco encouraged him shamelessly. Now that he knew Draco didn't mind, Harry seldom let Draco take the lead for very long simply because he enjoyed giving Draco pleasure and all the ways Draco made it obvious he loved every minute of it.

Harry hadn't yet made any move to take control that evening, but Draco was content to take charge until Harry got to the point he would take over. He knew that Harry could turn the tables in a heartbeat when he felt like it, so there was no reason from him not to enjoy the lead while he had it. Within moments of the last of their clothing hitting the floor, Harry was flat on his back on the bed with the blankets kicked into a pile near his feet and Draco sitting on his hips.

Draco smirked down at Harry and rubbed his arse slowly against Harry's cock, his hair falling loosely around his face as his hands slid up over Harry's belly and chest. "You look quite good enough to eat."

Harry grinned, arching slightly into Draco's touch as he reached up to cup one hand around the back of Draco's neck. "So do you." He pulled Draco down towards him, staring up into Draco's eyes as he added cheekily, "Now c'mere, tease."

Draco followed the pull, still smirking as their lips met and then thrusting his tongue into Harry's mouth without any preamble, groaning softly when Harry just hummed and sucked on his tongue. They spent quite a while kissing after that, exploring the familiar contours of each other's mouths while their hands slid over smooth, firm flesh. They got so lost in each other that neither of them was aware of how much time passed while their bodies slowly rubbed against each other, enjoying the slow build of heat and need between them.

Draco was the first to finally pull away, looking into Harry's lust-clouded eyes as he murmured, "It's only teasing if I don't follow through."

Draco didn't wait for a reply before he leaned down to give Harry a quick, hungry kiss and then began to kiss his way down Harry's body, shifting backwards to move down the bed. He was intent on giving him an expert blowjob to start their first full night spent together, and Harry didn't seem as though he were getting ready to argue. Draco was in no hurry though, and took his time making his ways towards Harry's cock, exploring Harry's chest while Harry stroked his shoulders. He continued licking and sucking at Harry's nipples, switching sides randomly and occasionally nipping the sensitive flesh just hard enough to make Harry's hips jerk.

Harry quite liked to have his nipples pinched and was soon squirming under Draco's determined assault, but he stayed nearly silent other than the soft sounds of his ragged breathing. Draco had yet to figure out why Harry was so quiet in bed, but he thought it probably was something Harry had picked up to please his old boyfriends. He had a suspicion that Harry was one of those people who liked to talk in bed and thought that it must have bothered someone he was with, most likely Ron. He knew that Harry and Ron had been living in the dorm still when they were starting out, and he thought that Ron had probably been skittish enough not to want to hear what was going through Harry's mind. Draco was determined to figure out how to get him past that strange silence more quickly, regardless of who had caused it. He loved to hear Harry's responses to what he was doing and wanted Harry to feel comfortable enough to just let it out.

Draco shifted to kneel between Harry's legs as he moved further down the bed to more easily explore Harry's body, trailing teasing, feather light kisses and sharp little nips along Harry's abs before he slowly licked a twisting path through the dark hair around Harry's navel. Harry shivered as he moved his hands from Draco's shoulders to the bed, fisting the rumpled sheets and lifting his hips in wordless encouragement as he gasped softly. Draco settled his hands high on Harry's thighs to hold him down, lingering to lick slowly into Harry's belly button and explore it thoroughly while his thumbs lightly stroked tense muscles. He eventually moved to nuzzle through the trail of dark hair that led downwards, his cheek brushing against Harry's erection where it jutted up along his belly.

Harry finally groaned then and tried to shift his hips as he murmured hoarsely, "Drake, please."

Draco smirked, feeling victorious for drawing Harry out of that odd silence as he held Harry's hips still and rubbed his cheek against hard, velvety flesh, enjoying the way it throbbed against his cheek. "Please what, Harry? Tell me."

Draco didn't wait for a reply, moving away from Harry's cock to nibble gently down the soft skin on the inside of his thigh as Harry squirmed and moved his legs further apart. He loved the desire-drenched tone of Harry's voice as Harry groaned and then replied huskily, "I want to feel your mouth."

Draco decided that was quite a good idea and kissed his way back up the inside of Harry's thigh, listening to Harry's sudden intake of breath as muscles rippled under the skin. Harry had a sheen of sweat blooming on his body by the time Draco's hands tightened on his hips, holding him down as he moved to lick slow circles on Harry's balls. Harry let out a surprised gasp and then a throaty moan, his muscles flexing as he tried to move his hips.

Draco smirked inwardly and nibbled at the sensitive skin, drawing a soft little strangled noise from Harry before he lowered his head a bit further and closed his mouth around one of Harry's testicles. He immediately began to swirl his tongue against the underside of Harry's sac, suckling while Harry whimpered. Draco sucked a bit harder and then released the mouthful of sensitive flesh, blowing across it and watching Harry shudder as his cock twitched over the dark hair on his belly. He smirked and lowered his head to repeat his attentions on the other testicle, listening to Harry make soft little noises that caused Draco's cock to throb as he wondered how Harry would sound when they actually made love.

When Draco finally moved to lick at the base of Harry's cock, Harry groaned, muttering in a rough, exasperated tone, "Drake, _please_." He lifted his hips, pushing against the restraint of Draco's hands as he tightened his grip on the sheet and twisted handfuls of soft cotton. "You're driving me _crazy_."

Draco smirked but didn't reply, instead putting his mouth to much better use as he dragged the flat of his tongue up Harry's erection. Harry groaned again more loudly and tried to move, his cock throbbing against Draco's lips as a bit of precome dripped onto his belly. Draco swirled his tongue against the sensitive underside of Harry's cock, loving the little encouraging noises Harry was making as his muscles bunched and strained under Draco's hands. Draco licked up to the head of Harry's cock and then closed his lips around the slit just as it pulsed again, humming appreciatively as droplets of precome dribbled onto his tongue.

Harry let out a low impatient noise and braced one foot on the bed to get more leverage, forcing Draco to tighten his grip and lean on his hands to hold him down when Harry tried to thrust again. Draco slowly licked up over the crown of Harry's cock, lingering for several moments as he explored the sensitive flesh with his tongue. He enjoyed the taste and feel of Harry's cock against his lips as he flicked the tip of his tongue along the slit, another droplet of precome erupting against his tongue as he groaned softly. He took just the head of Harry's cock in his mouth then, swirling his tongue against the velvety flesh to get the last traces of precome.

"Drake," Harry growled softly, sounding more than a little frustrated as he lifted his hips off the bed in a short thrust even though Draco was still trying to hold him down.

Draco decided he quite liked the growly note in Harry's voice and tilted his head to look up along Harry's sweaty body at his face. The naked lust in Harry's green eyes caused him to swallow hard, and he let Harry's cock slip from his mouth with a soft pop. "What, Harry? Tell me what you want and I'll do it."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to stop larking about, Drake, before I take matters into my own hands."

Draco smirked at that, his pale blue eyes sparkling with sudden amusement. "Is that a _threat_?"

"It's a _promise_ ," Harry replied immediately, pushing his elbows against the bed to half sit up and giving Draco a challenging look. "I'm about this far..." Harry shifted his weight slightly and lifted one hand from the bed to hold his fingers about half an inch apart. "... from throwing you down and seeing if I can't make you forget everything but my name."

Draco slowly lowered his lips almost to Harry's cock, smirking up at Harry as he moved one hand to slide his fingers into the coarse dark curls surrounding it. Harry watched him with glittering, hungry eyes as Draco's breath ghosted against the sensitive flesh of his cock and Draco whispered, "What is it you want me to do, Harry? All you have to do is tell me."

Harry licked his lips and moved his free hand to slide his fingers into Draco's hair, brushing it back so he could see Draco's face better as he replied huskily, "I'd really, _really_ like for you to suck my prick. Please?"

"Mm, so polite," Draco teased softly before he pressed his lips to the crown of Harry's cock again, sucking gently and drawing a deep groan from Harry. Draco's lips curved as he closed his hand around the base of Harry's cock and then he lowered his head to take more of it into his mouth, keeping up a constant suction.

Harry watched Draco's mouth on his cock as he carefully rocked his hips, pushing deeper into the wet heat of Draco's mouth with a soft little inarticulate sound. He let his head fall back, closing his eyes and tightening his grip on Draco's hair as he lifted his hips again and whispered, "That feels so fucking good."

Draco's only reply was a low purring noise, the vibrations drawing another groan from Harry as his hips rocked a little harder. Draco squeezed Harry's cock and then loosened his hold before squeezing again as Harry began to thrust more strongly, muttering huskily, "Fuck, yes, just like that."

Draco hummed in reply as he moved his head in time with the rocking of Harry's hips, keeping up a steady suction as he rhythmically squeezed and stroked Harry's cock. It didn't take long before Harry's hips were jerking completely off the bed as Harry cried out wordlessly, his cock pulsing in Draco's mouth. Draco let the first spurts of thick liquid fill his mouth and then pulled off slowly and swallowed with a low groan before he began to suck again, milking Harry's cock with his hand. He swirled his tongue slowly against the underside just below the crown, savoring the taste as Harry shuddered and thrust slightly with the last pulse of his cock.

Harry finally relaxed back onto the bed and was still as he tried to catch his breath, his cock softening in Draco's mouth. Draco took his time licking Harry's cock clean and then moved his attentions to Harry's balls again, lingering when Harry made low appreciative noises. Harry finally lifted his head after a bit, tucking one hand behind his head to prop his head up as he watched Draco with heavy-lidded eyes. Draco licked up Harry's softened cock one last time and then swirled his tongue around the crown before he began to kiss, lick and nibble his way up Harry's sweaty body, a smug smirk lingering at the corners of his mouth.

 

~*~*~

 _Your skin,_ _  
_Oh yeah, your skin and bones,_  
 _Turned into something beautiful,_  
 _And it was all yellow._ _

~*~*~

 

Draco's attempt to explore Harry's body a second time had only lasted until Harry caught his breath, and then the tables were turned rather abruptly. Draco barely had time to register the evil grin on Harry's face before he found himself on his back with Harry's lips around the base of his cock, the muscles of Harry's throat closing tightly around the head as Harry swallowed him whole. Draco cried out and came almost immediately, too aroused by the hummer he had given Harry and surprised by Harry's actions to resist the sudden rush of pleasure.

Harry took advantage of Draco's post-climactic bliss to roll Draco to his belly and begin rimming him, giving Draco no chance to gather his scattered wits. Harry had him pressing back towards his probing tongue before Draco had even caught his breath, and he was soon mumbling how wonderful it felt and making noises that made Harry's cock twitch with renewed interest. Harry took his time reducing Draco to gasping whimpers between pleas for more, then suddenly moved up against Draco's back to put his lips against Draco's hair where it fell across his ear.

"I'm going to fuck you senseless," Harry murmured, then nuzzled Draco's hair aside to lick slowly along the curve of his ear as Draco lifted his hips to press back against him. "Unless, of course, you have a better idea."

Draco quite liked the idea of letting Harry top, so he replied hastily, "Oh no, I don't."

Harry smirked but didn't reply immediately as he rubbed his fingertip against Draco's wet entrance, teasing him. Draco let out an impatient noise and tried to push back onto his finger after Harry had stroked across the puckered muscle a few times, but Harry was having none of it and just moved his hand away.

Draco muttered, "You're _evil_ , teasing me like this. Just fuck me already."

Harry grinned and rested his hands on Draco's hips, pressing his cock along the curve of Draco's arse. "Patience. It'll be worth the wait."

Draco groaned, obviously frustrated as he shifted so that Harry's cock was against the crack of his arse and then began to grind back against him. "I've never been patient, Harry. Just do it!"

Harry chuckled and kissed Draco's back, then lifted his hand to suck on his own fingers a moment before he swayed away from him a bit and moved his hand back down to slide his fingertips along the cleft of Draco's arse. "Pushy bottom, aren't you?"

Draco turned his head to look over his shoulder at Harry, his expression showing his frustration even though he was amused. "However did you guess?"

Harry grinned. "Used my brilliant powers of deductive reasoning." He rubbed the tips of two fingers against Draco's entrance and then pressed them inside, smirking at the way Draco moaned. "Like that?"

"Fuck yes," Draco murmured, pushing back further onto Harry's fingers.

Harry smirked and pressed closer to Draco again to rub his cock against Draco's upper thigh, his fingertips teasingly avoiding Draco's prostate as he murmured into Draco's ear, "It only gets better." He began trailing kisses and gentle nips along Draco's shoulder, his fingers slowly moving as he stretched Draco with more care than was strictly necessary. He knew that Draco was used to little or no preparation before rather rough sex, but he still wanted to prepare him the right way. He wanted to see if the unexpected care could make Draco loose control completely and beg. He thought it would, possibly even before he was shagging him properly.

Harry licked a path up the middle of Draco's back, enjoying the taste of the sweat on Draco's skin as he twisted his fingers and then slowly began to ease them free of Draco's body. He intended to go get the lubricant, but Draco let out a soft noise and rocked backwards, pushing Harry's fingers deeper into his yielding body instead. "Harry, no," Draco murmured, "don't stop now."

Harry kissed Draco's shoulder, stroking Draco's side with his free hand. "I won't." Draco's hair tickled Harry's nose and Harry lifted his free hand to impatiently brush Draco's hair aside, baring the sensitive skin at the nape of Draco's neck. Harry's breath tickled against the wispy hairs there and Draco shivered as Harry began to kiss slowly along Draco's hairline, his fingers pressing deeper into Draco's willing body. He smirked against Draco's skin a few seconds later when Draco arched back towards him suddenly, murmuring breathlessly, "Oh _yes,_ Harry, right _there_..."

Harry pressed his lips against Draco's neck, sucking at the skin and swirling his tongue against as he flexed his fingers inside of Draco. Draco's hips bucked back towards him again as Draco let out a low noise, and Harry slowly stroked the firm nub of flesh again to encourage Draco to move again. Harry lifted his lips from Draco's skin again after a few moments, dragging his tongue across the reddened mark he had made as he rubbed his cock slowly against Draco's hip. Draco pressed back towards him, grinding against Harry's fingers and cock as Harry nuzzled Draco's ear and whispered, "I want so badly to be inside you right now."

Draco whimpered, tipping his head back against Harry's shoulder as he arched his back and gasped out softly, "Please."

"Please what?" Harry licked at the edge of Draco's jaw, enjoying the taste of clean sweat mingled with that indefinable something that was simply Draco. "Tell me."

"I want you in me," Draco whispered, turning his head towards Harry to kiss him hungrily before he murmured against Harry's mouth, "I need it. I need _you,_ Harry."

Harry groaned softly and kissed Draco as though he wanted to eat him alive, quickly withdrawing his fingers from Draco's arse and then pulling away completely as Draco moaned at the sudden loss of Harry's touch, shivering. Draco missed the heat of Harry's body against him and had to remind himself that Harry would be right back as he turned his head to watch Harry climb off the bed, licking his lips at the way Harry looked in the candlelight. The sweat sheening Harry's skin caught the light and made every muscle seem to stand out in sharper relief, turning him into a fascinating pattern of light and shadow that rippled with every move.

Harry moved over to the dresser, jerking open the top drawer and digging around a bit before removing a tube of Muggle lubricant and then turning back towards Draco. He paused then to stare at Draco, his green eyes bright with desire as he admired Draco's pale, lithe body in the flickering light of the candle by the bed. He stood there for several moments before he finally moved towards Draco again and murmured, "You're so beautiful. Pale golden perfection."

Draco leaned towards him instead of replying, their mouths meeting in another hungry kiss as Harry climbed back onto the bed. When Harry ended the kiss he immediately moved kneel behind Draco again as he impatiently opened the small tube of Muggle lubricant, squirting some on his fingers before closing the tube and tossing it in the general direction of the bedside table. Draco twisted, leaning back towards Harry, who pressed up against Draco's back and met him for another kiss, sliding his tongue into Draco's mouth.

Harry groaned softly when Draco sucked hungrily at his tongue and moved his slick fingers to Draco's entrance again, pushing two inside and earning an approving noise from Draco as he rocked back onto them. Harry didn't tease Draco this time, his movements gentle but efficient as he stretched him again until Draco suddenly groaned into their kiss and whispered against his lips in an amused, breathless tone, "Harry, fuck me already."

Harry made a soft noise of agreement and kissed Draco once more before he pulled his fingers free, looking down as he moved his hands to gently spread the cheeks of Draco's arse and shifted to press the head of his cock to Draco's entrance. Harry looked back up then and opened his mouth to say something just as Draco arched his back and rocked back towards him with a sudden smirk. Harry let out a low groan as his cock slid into Draco's welcoming body until his belly was against Draco's arse, and he moved his hands to Draco's hips to hold him still. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be inside someone, and just the feeling of Draco's slick heat clenching tight around his cock was almost too much to bear as he fought for some shred of control.

"God," Harry whispered after a few moments, pressing his lips to the nape of Draco's neck in a soft kiss. "This isn't going to last long, you feel too good."

"Doesn't have to," Draco replied softly, his head falling back onto Harry's shoulder as he flexed his hips. "I love finally feeling you inside me, but I'd love it even more if you'd _move_."

Harry nibbled gently at the reddened bite on the nape of Draco's neck before he murmured against his skin, "I'm going to try and make you see stars."

Harry suited his actions to his words, pulling back smoothly and then thrusting into Draco with barely controlled force, smirking a bit at the sound of Draco's answering groan. Draco held still as Harry's hips drew back and then he rocked backwards as Harry thrust again, letting out a soft cry when he felt the sudden shock of pleasure as the shift in angle caused Harry to hit his prostate. Harry pulled back to thrust into him again without waiting for any other encouragement, and soon the soft sounds of skin hitting skin were drowned out by the noises they both were making.

They settled into a quick, erratic rhythm that was punctuated by low grunts of effort and soft cries of pleasure until Draco felt Harry's teeth sink into the nape of his neck. Draco cried out softly then, arching back against Harry as Harry licked and sucked at the darkening mark on Draco's neck. Harry slid one arm around Draco's waist then and thrust harder into him as he moved his other hand to Draco's cock and began to stroke it quickly. The slight roughness of the broom calluses on Harry's palm and fingers rubbing along Draco's over-sensitive erection caused more than enough friction to send Draco over the edge. He jerked under Harry as he cried out, spurts of semen hitting the sheet under them as his arse clenched almost painfully tight on Harry's cock. Harry bit down on Draco's shoulder and drove his cock into him as deeply as he could only a few more times before he came with a low groan, sliding his arms around Draco's waist to hold him tightly as he shuddered through the aftershocks.

The muscles in Draco's shoulders began to tremble with the strain of holding them both up after a few moments and Harry lifted off of him, pulling carefully out of Draco's body. He flopped down on the bed next to Draco with a low satisfied purr then, watching Draco lean towards the bedside table for his wand. Draco quickly performed cleaning charms on himself, Harry, and the bed, then laid the wand aside again and he collapsed next to Harry with a groan. Harry chuckled softly and rolled Draco to lie on his side, then spooned up behind him and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist.

Draco settled back against Harry's chest with a soft sigh, smiling as he laid one hand on Harry's to lace their fingers together. Harry pressed his lips against the mark on Draco's neck in a gentle kiss, squeezing Draco's hand as he felt Draco relax completely in his arms. They were both content to just lie there together as their breathing returned to normal and the sheen of sweat on their bodies began to evaporate.

Draco was the first to break the silence a little while later, murmuring, "I love having you hold me like this."

Harry nuzzled Draco's ear, smiling. "So do I. Makes me never want to let you go."

Draco turned his head to look at Harry, his pale blue eyes gentle and full of love. "I might hold you to that."

"You'd better," Harry murmured softly in reply, and he was smiling as he kissed him.

 

~*~*~

You know, _  
_You know I love you so,_  
 _You know I love you so._ _

~*~*~

 

Harry and Draco slept quite late the next morning, peacefully oblivious to the world and pressed so closely together, even asleep, that they both took up little more of Harry's bed than Harry would have alone. Harry had rolled over to sprawl on his belly sometime during the night, and it hadn't been long at all before Draco had followed to lay half on top of him. He was soon using Harry's shoulder for a pillow, with his arms around Harry's waist and one leg hooked across Harry's thighs.

After he had draped himself over Harry's back, Draco had fallen asleep again without bothering with any covers, and he got rather cold before he woke up enough to pull up the sheet and thick quilt. As soon as the warming charm in the blanket began to take the chill out of his body, Draco drifted back into a deep sleep, oblivious to the fact that Harry had barely noticed him moving around. For the first time in his life Draco was sleeping with someone he could trust, and the feeling of safety that gave him made it very easy to relax completely.

Harry and Draco didn't so much as twitch when someone knocked on the door shortly before noon. Even the slight tingle of magic as Hermione took down Harry's wards didn't cause them to stir, and Hermione calling Harry's name as she opened the door a few moments later received no reply.

Hermione blushed furiously as she stuck her head into the room to glance quickly at the bed, sure that she was about to see a lot more skin than would be comfortable. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw the blankets were pulled up high enough that only Harry's shoulders were visible and Draco was covered completely except for the back of his head. She immediately opened the door all the way and stepped inside, murmuring a spell to open the curtains on Harry's window and letting in a flood of bright sunlight.

Ginny walked into the room carrying a tray just as Draco made an annoyed noise at the sudden light, pulling the blankets up to cover his head. Harry groaned and hid his face in his pillow as he muttered something that sounded vaguely as if it was supposed to be words, but it was so muffled by the pillow that it was unintelligible. Hermione closed the door more loudly than was necessary and began to efficiently put Harry's wards back up, starting with the silencing charm.

Ginny ignored Hermione's activities and set the tray on Harry's desk, smirking as she walked over to the bed and said brightly, "All right, lovebirds! You've slept until noon, time to wakey-wakey!"

Harry turned his head towards her, blinking blearily as he muttered, "Go a _way_."

"Nope," Ginny replied cheerfully, "you need to eat a bite and hear the latest gossip, it's _quite_ interesting."

Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to Harry's tiny bathing room as she said calmly, "It's _past_ time for you to make an appearance today, Harry. People are beginning to worry you've gone wherever the seventh year Slytherins are, and McGonagall wants you in the common room by noon."

Draco uncovered his head as Harry tried to will away the last of the sleepy fog in his mind and make sense of what Hermione had said. " _All_ of the seventh year Slytherins are gone?" Draco asked, his voice slightly rusty with sleep but otherwise quite alert.

"Yes, they are, everyone is talking about it," Hermione replied as she draped Harry's maroon bathrobe over her right arm and stepped back out into the room to walk over to his wardrobe. "Three Ravenclaws are gone as well: Sandra Fawcett, Stephen Cornfoot, and Su Li." Hermione began rummaging around in the wardrobe as she added, "Those three left notes saying they were going home though, and written requests to have their grades averaged so they could take their N.E.W.T.s at the Ministry. The Slytherins just Flooed out without any explanation."

Hermione finally gave up on finding another robe and pulled a faded old dark blue flannel shirt from Harry's wardrobe instead. She pulled her wand, transfiguring the shirt into a robe before she turned towards the bed to look at Harry as she tucked her wand away, her expression quite serious. "Professor Snape was _livid_ this morning when the seventh years didn't show up for breakfast. One of the younger Prefects told him they were gone, and then Professor Flitwick said that it was all Professor Snape's fault for not monitoring his charges and leaving their Floo open. They got into a _terrible_ row right there in the Great Hall, and looked like they were going to start throwing cursesby the time the Headmaster stopped them.

"Dumbledore said then that all the students were instructed to spend the day in their dorms today except for meals, and the Floo system has been closed off to the whole school. Until further notice, first years must be in the company of a Prefect if they are outside their dorms and all students are supposed to run directly to a Prefect or one of the professors if they see any of the missing Slytherins or Ravenclaws. If there is an attack on the school, the fifth and sixth year Prefects are to gather as many students as they can and take them to the kitchens to hide with the house elves, who have been ordered to protect us. The seventh year students are all to go to the Great Hall to help with defense."

Draco rolled off of Harry's back, obviously wide-awake, and scooted up the bed as Hermione tossed the robes at them. "Happy bloody birthday to me," Draco muttered, catching the robes. "Stuck in a dorm full of Gryffindorks for the weekend."

Hermione sniffed as Ginny smirked at Draco and said, "Don't worry, Drake. We'll be sure to annoy you so you can snark at us a bit. Ought to make you feel better."

Harry sat up then, chuckling softly as he leaned towards the bedside table to get his glasses and then blushing when he saw the tube of lube was lying there in plain sight.

Draco didn't notice Harry's blush, instead giving Ginny a dirty look as he handed Harry the blue robe, wanting to keep the one that Harry normally wore for himself. "Gee, Gin," Draco drawled as he untangled the maroon robe, "thanks everso. Wouldn't know _what_ to do without you."

Draco gave Ginny one last pointedly annoyed look that was at odds with the amusement in his eyes and then began shrugging into the worn maroon robe, unobtrusively inhaling as he enjoyed the fact it smelled like Harry. Ginny saw Harry's blush and the reason for it, and her wicked smirk made it obvious she was probably going to needle him a bit when she opened her mouth to say something.

Harry dropped the lube into the table's drawer, feeling as if his face was flaming as he cut her off quickly. "What does the rest of the House have to say about everything?"

Harry quickly pulled the blue robe on while Hermione replied, "Professor McGonagall is _quite_ unhappy that you missed breakfast, and took points when I wouldn't wake you because I thought you'd need the sleep."

Hermione's cheeks pinked slightly at that admission and Ginny smirked at Harry as she added, "You should have seen her stand up to the old cat, Harry, you'd have been so proud! It was _definitely_ worth twenty points."

Harry grinned and tied the belt of his robe. "Good for her."

Hermione went on, trying to ignore Ginny and Harry. "Dean's told Seamus that you've got your boyfriend in here, but won't say who it is. Seamus told _everyone_ and they're sitting in the common room now, waiting with most of the rest of the House for us to get you to come out so they know who won the betting pool."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Lovely."

Ginny grinned. "Right now the twins are winning out as the best bet, with Bill a close second and Charlie in third, even though he's out of the country. Seems that most everyone is sure you're going to wind up with a Weasley." She snickered. "I've bet that no one will guess who it is, and got very good odds on it. Dean is keeping his mouth shut because I promised him a share when I win."

Draco snorted softly, smirking as he settled back against the headboard. "I believe _I'm_ the one who won, and no one would mistake _me_ for one of the Weasley sons. I'm much too pretty."

Harry chuckled, looking at Draco as he added, "And much too insufferably smug."

Draco just grinned at Harry, his blue eyes sparkling as he folded his arms behind his head, the movement causing his robe to come untied. When the robe fell open, the other three could plainly see where the covers rode low against his hips, exposing most of the pale golden curls below his belly button and a hint of more. "Not smug, just very … satisfied."

Harry laughed and turned towards Draco, leaning to kiss him quickly and then settling back again to pull at Draco's robe with a smirk. "Quit flashing my property at my best friends," Harry said firmly as he tied the robe shut.

Ginny snickered at that and Hermione rolled her eyes, expecting Draco to have a fit, but Draco just smirked back at Harry. "Are you going to brand me next?"

Harry reached out to slide his hand under Draco's hair and run his fingers along the nape of Draco's neck, grinning wickedly. Draco shivered at the touch on the sensitive skin just below the rather spectacular bruise Harry had left there as Harry said rather smugly, "I already did, but I can come up with something more permanent if you'd like."

Draco got a definite glint in his eyes and opened his mouth to say something but Hermione beat him to it, blushing as she said impatiently, "You two can discuss _marking_ each other later! You need to eat and get dressed, McGonagall is supposed to be checking the dorm at noon because she wants to make sure we're all here before she sends us down for lunch. She told me to be sure you were there Harry, or you'll be serving detention the rest of the _term_." Hermione glanced down at her watch, which pointed to ' _You're nearly not going to be early!'_ then looked back up as she added, "You've got only a few minutes."

"Okay, okay." Harry groaned and turned away from Draco, swinging his feet to the floor while making sure his robe was staying shut. "Why don't you take the food back in the common room and give it to someone in there? If it's nearly noon we'll just wait till lunch."

"Ginny, would you get the tray?" Ginny nodded and moved to pick it up off the desk again as Hermione looked at Harry and said firmly, "And no fooling around, Harry. McGonagall is _not_ in the mood to let me stall for you again today."

"We'll behave," Harry replied with a quick grin. "It'll only take us two shakes to pull on some clothes."

"See that you hurry." Hermione opened the bedroom door, letting Ginny go out ahead of her with the tray as she looked back towards the bed and added with a sudden little smirk, "You'd best take time to find Draco a comb though, he looks like he's been in a windstorm."

Draco's annoyed exclamation was cut off as Hermione closed the door, but she was sure she heard Harry snickering.

 

~*~*~

I swam across, _  
_I jumped across for you,_  
 _Oh what a thing to do,_  
 _'Cause you were all yellow._ _

~*~*~

 

Draco had just finished combing his hair in Harry's tiny bathroom when Harry stepped up behind him, reaching around Draco with one hand to hold what looked like a pencil-thick silver ribbon about four inches long between Draco and the mirror. "Wear this in your hair for me," Harry said simply, smiling at Draco's reflection in the mirror.

Draco looked into the reflection of Harry's eyes in the mirror as he took the ribbon, surprised that it seemed to be flexible metal. "You just want to show off that bite you left on my neck."

Harry brushed Draco's silky hair aside to kiss the bruise before he met Draco's gaze in the mirror again, sliding his arms around Draco's waist as he corrected softly, "I want everyone to know you're _mine_ , and that the only mark you'll _ever_ bear is one I've given you."

Draco suddenly wanted quite badly to hear Harry say something, but he was half afraid to come right out and ask despite the fact he thought he knew what Harry would say. He pushed away the urge though, wanting Harry to say it without him having to ask, and instead kept his tone light and teasing as he said, "You make it sound like we'll always be together."

"I hope we are," Harry replied softly, looking into the reflection of Draco's eyes. "I never want to spend another moment without you."

That wasn't quite what he had hoped for but Draco couldn't help a smile anyway, thinking that was definitely close enough to be going on with. He turned around to look directly at Harry then, his blue eyes soft with love. "I love you, too."

Harry leaned in to kiss him and then gave Draco an impish little grin, his green eyes sparkling with sudden happiness. "You'd better, or you'll get quite tired of shagging me at all hours of the night." Draco laughed softly at that and Harry gave his waist a squeeze, then let go and moved towards the bedroom. "Now finish your hair so we can go, I think I hear Hermione fussing from here."

Draco watched Harry go and then turned back towards the mirror, grinning like an idiot at himself as he ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair and pulled it back into a neat ponytail. He started to wrap the short silver ribbon around it only to let go of it in surprise when he felt the ribbon move under his fingers. He realized then that it must be charmed and turned his head to look at it curiously in the mirror, wondering exactly what Harry had given him. He couldn't help a smirk when he saw that it had turned into a snake and watched as it wrapped itself several times around his ponytail before biting its own tail, securing his hair firmly without being at all uncomfortable. He leaned closer to the mirror as he craned his neck to the side to inspect the snake out of the corner of his eye, admiring its jewel-bright green eyes and the delicately outlined suggestion of scales. He wondered why Harry had such a Slytherin thing for a moment before he pushed the question out of his mind, quickly pulling back from the mirror. All that mattered was that Harry asked him to wear it; what it was or where he had gotten it wasn't important.

Draco inspected himself critically in the mirror one last time, straightening the Prefect's badge on his robe and tightening his tie before he turned and walked out into the bedroom. He smiled when he saw Harry leaning against his desk waiting for him, glad that it was a Saturday. Harry had dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt instead of the school uniform, and was wearing an unbuttoned green plaid flannel shirt over it. The sleeves of the flannel shirt were rolled up to bare Harry's muscular forearms, which were tanned and liberally dusted with the same black hair that covered Harry's legs. Draco had quite enjoyed discovering that Harry wasn't nearly as furry as his arms had made Draco expect, and had had a bit of fun teasing Harry about the fact he had a veritable forest of hair on his forearms, lower legs, and crotch but very little elsewhere.

"Ready?" Harry asked with a little grin, pulling Draco's attention away from his arms as he offered Draco his wand.

"As I'll ever be," Draco replied with an answering grin, taking his wand and tucking it away.

Draco wondered then if Harry's dressing Muggle today was because Harry wanted to remind everyone that he was above the rules, or if it was because Harry wanted to stand as himself, not as the Head Boy of Hogwarts. Both were true; Draco knew the professors wouldn't have _approved_ if Harry dressed Muggle on a week day, and that Snape at least would surely have taken points, but no one could _make_ Harry wear the uniform if he decided not to. He also knew that Harry was shrewd enough to work both angles at once, but he found himself thinking that today Harry probably wanted to stand only as himself. Harry was the Boy Nobody Could Kill after all. Today he would be shaking the very foundations of how Hogwarts was run by having a Slytherin openly sharing his room and his bed, and it couldn't hurt to remind all of them who he was.

"No time like the present," Harry said, drawing Draco out of his thoughts again. Harry moved to the door and opened it, then stepped out into the hall and held the door with a smile, waiting for Draco to join him.

Draco chuckled and walked out into the hallway, pausing while Harry closed the door and then walking towards the overly noisy common room with him. "Especially since Hermione will have kittens if we keep her waiting for long."

Harry laughed, nodding. "Or a cow..."

They both heard a shocked gasp from the second year girl who was standing at the doorway of Colin Creevey's room, but they walked calmly down the hall past the girl as if they hadn't seen her. She turned away as soon as they had passed and called quietly to the others in the room that Harry was up, and the students in there, including Colin, scrambled to see. Harry and Draco both ignored the students who crowded out of the open Prefect's room and followed them down the hall, instead talking to each other.

"She really needs to sort out her priorities," Draco said with a grin for Harry. "Keeping McGonagall happy isn't always the best course of action."

Harry grinned, remembering someone else who had told him the same thing a thousand times. "She's got them figured much better these days. Six months ago she would have rousted me out of bed at dawn, no matter who I was with."

Draco laughed just as he and Harry stepped out of the Prefects' hallway into the noisy common room. The babble of voices died away suddenly as every student there turned to stare, many moving so they would have a better view. Harry pretended not to notice their audience and put a hand at the small of Draco's back, making who was in charge subtly obvious when Draco deferred to his direction. Harry guided the taller blonde across the room to join Hermione and Ginny, who were standing near the smallest fireplace where the three of them most often studied.

Harry and Draco hadn't made it even halfway to Hermione and Ginny when Seamus called, "Harry, what's _he_ doing here?"

Harry stopped then and Draco paused next to him as Harry turned back towards where Seamus stood near the hallway. "Drake's here because I want him to be," Harry said very calmly, "and nobody was willing to try and stop me."

There were scattered snickers at that because everyone knew that there was very little Harry couldn't get away with. Neville was the first to ask, "Harry, is Draco your, well, _boyfriend_?"

"At least," Harry replied immediately, giving Draco a sudden smile that Draco returned before Harry turned his attention back to Neville. "And hopefully to be a lot more in the near future, but I've a ring to buy before then."

Draco surprised everyone then by grinning at Harry and saying, "I never thought I'd see the day you would try to make an honest man of me without using at least one hex." Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and a few others laughed at that as Draco smirked and added, "But I feel I must warn you that I simply _refuse_ to be married before I'm twenty."

"A long engagement then," Harry replied, his green eyes sparkling as he grinned at Draco. "Two years will give us plenty of time to take care of that barmy old coot and his Munchers, and then we can decide which of us looks better in a wedding dress."

Quite a few of the students snickered at that as Draco snorted, giving Harry look that clearly said he thought Harry was crazy. "I'm not wearing a dress, Harry, not even for you."

"Whyever not?" Harry asked, grinning. "They're not much different from wizard's robes, really. Long and flow-y in pretty fabrics with way too many buttons."

Draco snorted again, then smirked suddenly. "Alright then, you wear the dress."

"But I haven't got the waistline or the legs to pull it off, and you do," Harry replied reasonably, his green eyes dancing with amusement.

Ginny laughed loudly before she covered her mouth, snickering behind her hand as Draco gave her a dirty look. "Don't encourage him even a little bit, Weasley," Draco said firmly, "or I'll be forced to conspire towards getting _you_ into a wedding dress."

Ginny went wide-eyed and stopped laughing as most of the sixth and seventh years, including Harry and Hermione, laughed.

McGonagall's unmistakable voice suddenly cut through the laughter as she called, "Everyone sit down!"

The students all quieted and everyone but Harry and Draco moved to find a seat, many winding up in the floor as McGonagall started across the room. She made her way quickly to where Harry and Draco stood, pursing her lips at them in annoyance for a moment before she spoke. "Mr. Potter, _why_ were you not at breakfast with your House?"

"We slept in ma'am," Harry replied calmly. "It _is_ Saturday after all, and neither of us had anywhere we needed to be."

"Yes, well, you do _now,_ Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied sharply, seemingly ignoring Draco's presence. "As Head Boy it is your responsibility to know what is going on amongst the students of this school. Get with Miss Granger and find out. You picked a very poor morning to lay abed."

"That won't be necessary, ma'am," Harry replied, making McGonagall's eyebrows rise. "We've already spoken to Hermione. We know all about the seventh year Slytherins -- except for Drake -- and three seventh year Ravenclaws disappearing. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that the Ravenclaws knew trouble is coming and got out while it was still safe to run. The Slytherins are probably all at the Riddle Mansion with Voldemort."

"Mr. Potter, please _do_ refrain from saying that name!" McGonagall said testily. "Since you are _so_ well informed, it should be no trouble for Miss Granger and yourself see to it that the students from _all four_ Houses make it down the to the Great Hall for lunch. After the meal, the Headmaster would like to speak to Mr. Malfoy and yourself in his office." She paused, and her gaze finally flickered to Draco and then back to Harry as she added, "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know Headmaster Dumbledore has instructed the staff not to attempt to separate you from Mr. Malfoy for any reason. Despite the fact Mr. Malfoy's presence in your room breaks a dozen school rules, he is to be allowed to remain until end of term."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry replied with a smile that was very nearly a smirk. "I would hate for outdated ideas of propriety to cause us both to be expelled with end of term only two weeks away. It would be a shame for the students to be harmed because we weren't here to help protect them."

McGonagall sniffed, her expression giving the impression that she had inhaled something nasty. "You needn't worry about _that_. It's beginning to seem that you might as well run the school, Mr. Potter, if not quite a lot more." Draco smirked then, but McGonagall pretended not to see it as she added acerbically, "It remains to be seen whether that is good or bad. Please _do_ get everyone to the Great Hall soon. The meal cannot begin until all of the students are there and the house elves have gone all out to make up for the missed Hogsmeade weekend."

"Yes ma'am," Harry replied, trying not to smirk but not succeeding very well.

McGonagall turned away with another little sniff and walked quickly out of the common room. The door had barely closed behind her before most of the students began laughing or whispering as Seamus called across the room to Harry, "Headmaster Potter has a nice ring to it!"

"The Boy Who Kicked Voldemort's Arse And Then Went On To Teach Quidditch In Peace has a better ring to it," Harry replied with a wide grin, making most of his closer friends laugh. "Prefects, each of you get your lot organized and make sure everyone's accounted for, then get them down to the Hall. Neville, you take Ginny's group, she'll be with me."

The Prefects -- Colin, Dean, Natalie, Kathleen, and Michael -- moved with Neville to gather up their students. Hermione had devised a plan within a day of receiving her Head Girl badge that made each Gryffindor Prefect responsible for one year's worth of students within their House, watching the seventh years herself. The plan had made keeping track of everyone's behavior much easier because each Prefect had a specific group of students to watch out for. It also made getting the entire House ready for an emergency much easier, since seven groups of students were much easier to control than an unorganized horde and the older students could easily be separated out to protect the younger.

Hermione called out, "Prefects, make sure you use the defensive ordering! Seventh years, I know we're all here, I saw you all at breakfast. You can help the Prefects get their groups together and then take the lead." Hermione and Ginny moved to join Harry and Draco then, making their way easily through the milling students.

Draco looked around curiously, watching the students begin gathering around the Prefects assigned to their year and looking pleasantly surprised. "You've got your lot rather organized, Harry. I'm impressed."

Hermione and Ginny reached them then as Harry grinned at Draco, his green eyes sparkling. "Yes, well, blame it totally on Hermione. She's _very_ predictable that way, and came to school this term with it all planned out. Only took a month to get them disciplined enough to keep her satisfied."

Hermione reached out and swatted Harry's shoulder, smiling as she said, "Let's get moving. We've three other Houses to get down to the Hall, and they'll not be as organized as _ours_ is."

Harry made a face and gestured towards the door, where the last of the second group to go, the fifth years, were already disappearing. "As you can see, Head Girl, ma'am, we've got to wait for the crush to pass before we can go."

Ginny rolled her eyes and pushed Harry towards the door. "They'll get out of _your_ way, Harry. A person would think you didn't know that _every one of them_ would try and fly without a _broom_ if you told them to!"

"Which is, of course, how I like it," Harry replied, grinning as he let Ginny push him through the crowd towards the door. Hermione and Draco followed them through the throng of students, laughing.

 

~*~*~

I drew a line, _  
_I drew a line for you,_  
 _Oh what a thing to do,_  
 _And it was all yellow._ _

~*~*~

 

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, although not as organized as the Gryffindors, were still rather easy to set on their way, leaving Slytherin for last. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny more than half expected trouble from them, but Draco was calm and confident as the four of them paused at the blank wall that hid the door to the Slytherin common room.

"Just follow my lead," Draco said quietly, looking first at Harry and then at Ginny and Hermione. "I expect that, given that I am the senior Slytherin left at school, most of them will go wherever I tell them. There are only a few who may make trouble until they know the fate of the other seventh years, and I'll handle those numbskulls."

"Or I will," Harry added, looking at Ginny and Hermione and ignoring the bemused look Draco gave him. "You two stay out of it unless we ask for help, alright?"

Ginny snorted. "We're _girls_ , not helpless."

Hermione nodded. "And better with a wand than _any_ of the Slytherins remaining at school, except possibly Draco."

"And if you _three_ let me handle it, we'll not _need_ wands," Draco said, trying not to laugh at their Gryffindorish charging into the fray. "Most of them are scared senseless of me because I've caught them out at one time or another and sent them scurrying back to the dorm with a hex or two at their heels. Even if they _aren't_ afraid of me personally, I am _still_ a seventh year and a Malfoy. They all know I can overpower any of them without much effort."

Draco turned towards the wall again without waiting for a reply and murmured something that the others couldn't quite make out, causing the wall before them to dissolve into a large, ornate wooden door. Draco opened it immediately as he visibly straightened and squared his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height. He hadn't quite reached Lucius' impressive height yet, but he was definitely nearing it and his lessons in personal carriage as a child made certain that he could cut a haughty, impressive figure when he wished. When dealing with the other Slytherins, Draco knew that being imposing and using every possible advantage was a vital necessity.

Ginny saw the difference in the way Draco carried himself, and suddenly realized that he had been very nearly slouching, which made her wonder why he wasn't willing to do so in front of the Slytherins. She would have thought that Draco would be less worried about what they thought of him now, especially since they had seen him act in a much more undignified manner. She had heard the rumors about how Draco acted when he was on the prowl and knew he had done a lot worse than slouch a bit around them.

Everyone already in the Slytherin common room, including Professor Snape, who was standing near the main fireplace, looked over in surprise when Draco pushed the door open. Draco was oblivious to the thoughtful look on Ginny's face as he swept elegantly through the doorway and into the crowded but quiet common room with Harry at his heels. Professor Snape turned to face the door, raising one eyebrow as he watched Hermione and Ginny follow Draco and Harry into the common room.

"Ah, it seems you've decided to return to us after all, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape said dryly, "Though I _do_ wish that you hadn't chosen to infest our House with quite so many Gryffindors when you did so."

"One grows used to them, sir," Draco replied calmly, ignoring the disgusted looks from many of the gathered Slytherins. "Harry would be quite difficult to be rid of even if I wished to, and Weasley and Granger are almost as tenacious."

Professor Snape's lips twitched. "I must admit I had noticed that Potter is quite difficult to get rid of." Harry snorted at that and Professor Snape gave him a sardonic look before he turned his attention back to Draco. "I trust that your presence here and your generally unscathed appearance indicates that the rumors you were in your room when it was ransacked are untrue. As such, I feel it my duty to warn you that very little seems to be left, apart from your school trunk and its contents. Even your furniture was reduced to little more than kindling."

Draco nodded, not at all surprised. "I expected as much when I left, sir. Everything important is in my trunk. I doubt even Harry could open or move it without taking some time to think about it. It was quite safe from Voldemort's newest lapdogs."

Harry grinned at that backhanded comment as several Slytherins muttered darkly, quieting abruptly when Professor Snape glanced at them before returning his attention to Draco. "I assume there is a _reason_ you have returned."

"Yes sir," Draco replied, "Professor McGonagall instructed Harry to be sure all the students went to the Great Hall for lunch."

"And you felt you _must_ handle our House for him, I suppose," Professor Snape half-asked, one corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Yes sir, that is my responsibility as a Prefect." Draco paused and then added, "Also, as the eldest Slytherin student remaining, it is my duty to my House to see that their behavior does not shame us."

"Quite," Professor Snape agreed, moving towards the doors. "Carry on as you intended then, Draco. I will expect you in the Hall in no more than five minutes." Professor Snape glanced back at the other Slytherin students, giving them a piercing look as he added, " _All_ of you."

"Yes sir," Draco replied and then watched Professor Snape leave before he turned to look at the rest of his House, taking in the unfriendly looks on many faces. "You heard him. Prefects, make sure everyone in first through sixth is here and then get them moving."

Draco didn't wait for any replies or even bother to watch as the Prefects began looking about and counting heads, instead turning away to walk towards the hall that led to the Prefects rooms. He wasn't the least bit surprised when Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all moved to follow him across the common room and into the corridor that led to the Prefects quarters. It was a very familiar feeling to have people following him and watching his back and it was easy for him to pretend there was nothing unusual about those people being Gryffindors.

Ginny and Harry looked out into the lake interestedly as they walked into the glass-sided hallway, watching the Great Squid float serenely past as Harry asked, "You trust them to go without supervision?"

"The Prefects won't let them get into trouble, not when Professor Snape and I just reminded them that they'd be responsible," Draco replied, giving Harry a quick grin. "It's a Slytherin thing. Besides, their motives and honor would be called into question if they messed up now. I doubt seriously that any of them would risk that today."

Hermione ignored the lake and Draco's response to Harry's question, which she had already figured out for herself. "Why are we going to your room now?"

"I want to get my things while I'm here so I won't have to come back," Draco replied as he reached a doorway that was very obviously minus a door. He paused long enough to draw his wand and mutter a shielding spell before he stepped inside, looking around curiously.

Harry drew his wand and cast a similar spell, following Draco into the room only to stop just inside the door and look around wide-eyed at the destruction. "Bugger me," Harry murmured.

Draco smirked over his shoulder at Harry. "Later, if you like."

Harry grinned at Draco as Hermione and Ginny joined him by the door, both girls seemingly oblivious to the exchange as they looked around at the hand-sized pieces of charred, shredded furniture and bedding that covered most of the floor. The largest thing left in the room was Draco's dark green trunk, which sat against one wall and was quite unscathed. The stone surrounding the trunk was scorched and pitted, mute testimony that someone had tried to obliterate the trunk as well.

"Wow," Ginny said, looking shocked.

Hermione began to run a spell-scan on the room, checking for traps. "Someone was rather annoyed."

"They really did a number on this place," Harry agreed as he stuck his wand in his back pocket.

"Blaise did this, I'm sure," Draco said, seeming to ignore the destruction as he walked to his trunk. "He has quite a petty sense of retribution and I'm sure he woke up very annoyed with me. I wasn't here for him to punish so he took it out on my things."

"I'm amazed they could do this without setting off the castle's wards," Hermione said then, finally tucking her wand back into her robes as she moved further into the room to look at the pitted stone around the trunk. "Offensive spells strong enough to damage the flagstones like that should have had the wards screaming and brought every one of the professors down here."

Draco tapped his trunk with his wand, ending the wards he had keyed to respond only to the touch of his own wand and magic. "Most of the school wards don't extend down here," Draco replied matter-of-factly, then murmured, " _Reducio_." The trunk shrank to about the size of an egg and then he bent to pick it up, putting it in the pocket of his robe as he turned towards the other three.

"What do you _mean_ most of the wards don't extend down here?" Hermione asked incredulously as she, Ginny, and Harry stared at Draco in surprise. "How could that happen?!"

Draco shrugged elegantly and walked back towards the door, his expression amused. "I haven't the slightest, I just know they don't. Spells can be cast in the deepest dungeons or the Slytherin Prefects' rooms that don't work anywhere else in the castle, including the Unforgivables. Blaise has been known to cast Cruciatus on anyone who sufficiently annoys him, and I believe you'll remember that I used the Killing Curse recently?" Hermione nodded, wide-eyed, then Draco continued, "I cast it here in my room, and no one the wiser." Draco paused, suddenly thoughtful. "I haven't tried to _Apparate_ from here so even that might be worth a try, if someone were standing by in case of splinching..."

"Oh my," Hermione murmured, then she shivered and moved closer to Ginny, swallowing hard. "May we go now, please?"

Draco grinned as he said cheerfully, "Yes, we can run like rabbits now if you'd like. I'll be perfectly happy never to set foot down here again now that I have my trunk. I prefer Harry's bed to any of the ones I've been in down here."

Harry laughed, earning a glare from Hermione before she and Ginny quickly moved out into the hallway.

Harry grinned at Draco and said, "It's no wonder Snape lets you lot get away with murder. He's not got a way to stop you."

Draco snickered and put one hand on the small of Harry's back, guiding him out the door and then urging him down the hallway after Hermione and Ginny. "No, he just can't be _bothered_. Says we're supposed to learn to take care of _ourselves_ and we can't do that with someone standing guard over us at all hours. We're not allowed to maim or kill each other, but virtually anything else is tolerated."

"Seems to have worked pretty well," Harry said, giving Draco a little grin as they neared the common room. Hermione and Ginny stopped abruptly a few feet into the room then, and Harry and Draco stopped behind them, looking over Hermione's shoulder. "What's the hold up?" Harry asked.

Hermione sniffed, giving Harry and Draco a level look as Ginny shrugged and gestured to the obviously hostile students that were still filing out the door. "This lot isn't likely to clear out for us. We've got to wait our turn."

Draco snorted and gave Harry's back a little push, guiding him around Hermione and Ginny towards the door. "Not bloody likely! I'm the ranking Slytherin here and _I_ am famished." Draco raised his voice, adding roughly, "Make a hole you lot!"

Students moved aside with annoyed looks and Draco smirked, guiding Harry out of the room.

Ginny and Hermione followed them closely as Ginny muttered, " _I_ could have done _that_."

Hermione giggled and hooked her arm through Ginny's. "And quite as well as he did, I'm sure."

 

~*~*~

Your skin, _  
_Oh yeah your skin and bones,_  
 _Turned into something beautiful._ _

~*~*~

 

Ginny and Hermione both stopped abruptly when they stepped into the hallway and practically ran into Draco and Harry, who had stopped just outside the exit to the Slytherin common room.

Harry pulled Draco to one side of the hallway to let the Slytherins by. "It's my responsibility to be sure everyone gets to lunch," Harry said, and then he looked at Hermione and Ginny. "You two go on ahead and check with the Prefects to see how the other Houses did. Draco and I will be along as soon as all of this lot is on their way."

Hermione nodded, giving Harry a quick smile. "Very good, Harry, the Headmaster will be proud."

Harry made a face. "If you're trying to persuade me not to bother..."

Draco and Ginny both snickered as Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "We'll save seats for you."

"Make sure the four of us can sit together," Harry replied with a quick smile.

"Yes," Draco agreed, ignoring the Slytherins who were still slowly straggling by and making no pretense at not listening to them. "I insist that I have at least three mildly intelligent neighbors to talk to."

A stocky fifth year that had just stepped out of the Slytherin common room snorted and muttered, "Don't sit with _them_ then."

Draco quickly moved to block the fifth year's path, forcing several other students stop as well as he stared the boy down and asked in his coldest tone, "What was that, Bundy?"

Kasey Bundy gave Draco a distasteful look, trying not to be obvious about sliding his hand into the pocket of his robes to touch his wand. "You obviously heard me, Draco."

"To you, Bundy, my name is Sir, Prefect, or Mr. Malfoy," Draco said with a familiar superior sneer. "And if you've not got the brains to even _try_ and get out of it, you can serve detention with Professor Snape. I believe he mentioned yesterday that he needed some _unfortunate_ soul this weekend to scrub the seventh year workroom and clean up _Longbottom's_ latest disaster."

"That's bloody unfair!" a burly sixth year named Malcolm Baddock exclaimed, moving to stand next to Kasey as he glared at Draco.

The other Slytherin students still lingering in the hallway decided then that heading for the Great Hall post-haste was the better part of valor. Malcolm was a Slytherin Beater and had a long and well-known past with their Seeker. Innocent bystander or not, being hit by random hexes was a distinct possibility when Draco and Malcolm fought, and they fought quite a lot more often than they shagged.

"Just because _you've_ gone over to their side and become Potter's new fuck-toy doesn't mean _we_ have to like him, _or_ his slut girlfriends!" Malcolm sneered as he added, "We're not all blood traitors."

Draco drew his wand as he said coldly, "I know it will be _very_ difficult for _you,_ Baddock, but as long as you don't do anything stupid in my presence I couldn't give a rat's arse _whose_ side you're on. You don't have to like my lover _or_ my companions, but you _will not_ insult either one in my presence or you'll live to regret it. Understood?"

"Quite," Malcolm replied, his lip wrinkling in disgust. "Stupidest thing I ever did was shagging you."

"I would watch what I say if I were you, Baddock," Harry said suddenly, making the three Slytherins look at him. Harry had a hard look in his glittering green eyes and was holding his wand pointed directly at Malcolm's forehead. "I don't take kindly to anyone insinuating such things about my boyfriend."

"Insinuating, hell!" Malcolm exclaimed. "Half the blokes in the school have had a go at his arse, that's _fact_ _!_ He's a bigger slut than Finnegan, and _that's_ bloody well going some."

"No, he's not," Harry replied, walking over to stand next to Draco. He ignored the height difference even though Malcolm was quite a bit taller than he was, glaring angrily up into Malcolm's eyes as he continued, "He's _mine_ now and I don't share, _especially_ with the likes of _you_."

"That's not what I hear," Malcolm replied with a nasty smirk. "Dean 'shared' all over the school while he was with you."

"I don't care what _Dean_ did." Harry was easily as angry as Draco had ever seen him, and he had purposefully provoked him more times than he could count. "Dean can shag the whole bloody school for all I care. Draco is _mine_. If you so much as touch him the elves will be digging pieces of you out of the walls for the next month. Unlike Draco, I don't like you well enough to let you live."

Malcolm sneered, trying not to show how unnerving it was to look into angry eyes the same shade of green as the Killing Curse. "You can have him, Potter. I can do quite a lot better than _him_."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he spat out flatly, "You're not good enough to lick his _boots_."

Malcolm spluttered a moment, then he managed to find his voice and he stepped menacingly towards Harry, balling his fists at his sides. "You little _bastard_ , I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

Ginny and Hermione glanced at each other and then moved back towards the Slytherin common room to get behind Malcolm and Kasey, drawing their wands as they walked and intending to put a stop to it if things went much further. Harry was quite able to handle Malcolm if they dueled, but neither Ginny nor Hermione was willing to let him physically fight the burly Beater. Harry was tough, yes, but Malcolm was huge and had a reputation as a brawler.

"Not bloody likely," Harry said with a disdainful sneer for Malcolm. "Tougher people than _you_ have been trying to kill me since I was _born_ , but I'm still here."

Draco snickered as Malcolm flushed an unbecoming shade of purple that reminded Harry quite a lot of his uncle Vernon. "You think you're so _special_ , Potter, but just _wait_ until the others get their hands on you. You'll wish you'd never stuck your nose into our Lord's business."

Harry snorted, unimpressed. "In Voldemort's _dreams,_ possibly." He flicked the tip of his wand, drawing Malcolm's attention to it again. "Get your ungrateful arse to the Great Hall where it belongs. I'd hate to have to deduct points for what's left of you dirtying up the hallways."

Malcolm raised his fist with a low growl, obviously intending to punch Harry, but Kasey quickly grabbed his arm. "Let's just go!" Kasey said urgently, trying to drag him away. "You'd be in more trouble than it's worth for getting into a fistfight in the hallways today, especially with the Head Boy! You _know_ Blaise said to lay low a while."

"This is your lucky day, Potter." Malcolm let the younger boy pull him down the hallway as he muttered something to Kasey that the others could not hear. He spared one last angry glare over his shoulder at Harry and Draco and then he and Kasey rounded a corner and went out of sight.

Hermione and Ginny moved to rejoin Harry and Draco, relieved that a fight had been avoided as Draco gave Harry a wry look and said, "I could have handled him, you know."

The annoyance in Harry's expression vanished as though someone had flipped a switch and he grinned impishly at Draco. "Yes, Drake, I know, but I wasn't going to let you. _I_ can get away with turning him into something unpleasant, but I'm not so sure _you_ could."

"Too late, Harry," Ginny said then, "Someone else already did." Draco, Harry, and Hermione all laughed as Ginny smirked and added, "And I'm _starving_ , so I'm going to go see just what this special feast the house elves whipped up is."

Ginny started down the hall and the others moved to join her as Draco said, "You think _you're_ starving, I haven't had a bite to eat since breakfast _yesterday_!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she looked at Draco. "I thought Harry was going to call Dobby so you could have dinner together last night?"

Harry smirked. "I had better things to do."

"Namely me," Draco added with an almost identical smirk. "And it was quite worth missing another meal, I assure you."

Hermione blushed as Ginny laughed and gave Harry a firm pat on the back. "Good for you, Harry! It's about _time_ you got some."

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, her face heating up even more.

"It's the truth love, and you know it," Ginny replied with a smirk for Hermione. "Dean quite liked to brag about what a good a bottom boy Harry was for him, even though he's really not the type."

"Harry _is_ a natural top," Draco agreed helpfully, smirking. "When he gets all dominant and growly he can make even _me_ melt into a _very_ happy puddle, and I've _never_ been accused of being submissive."

Harry blushed hotly at that even though he was grinning, and Ginny giggled as she said, "I _so_ knew it!"

"Well, I didn't _want_ to know it," Hermione said primly, her cheeks still flaming. "Draco, please don't take this the wrong way, but do shut up."

Draco moved a bit closer to Ginny as they walked down the hall, smirking as he draped one arm across her shoulders and stage-whispered, "Bit of a prude, isn't she?"

Hermione let out an indignant little noise as Ginny grinned smugly at Draco and loudly whispered back, "Only about boys."

Harry laughed as Draco snickered and whispered, "Does she ever lose control?"

Ginny's eyes got a wicked little glint in them and she opened her mouth to reply, but Hermione's hand covered her mouth before she could. "Worry about _Harry_ , Draco, not me," Hermione said, blushing furiously even as she gave Draco a dirty look. "I'm taken care of _quite_ well."

Ginny licked at Hermione's hand and Hermione jerked it away from her mouth, then Ginny grinned at her and said cheerfully, "I love you."

"You'd better," Hermione replied, wiping her hand on her robes and trying not to laugh.

Draco ignored the girls' exchange as he slung his other arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled Harry closer, his pale blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "You lot need a keeper, and I've _just_ appointed myself to the job."

Harry slid his arm around Draco's waist as they walked, leaning into his side with a grin and not bothering to watch where they were going. "It's a thankless task, you know. Many have tried to keep us out of trouble and _all_ have failed."

"Who said anything about keeping you out of _trouble_?" Draco asked with a soft laugh, raising one eyebrow. "Getting in trouble's quite a lot of _fun_ if you do it right, and with _me_ watching out for you that'll be a given."

Ginny giggled at that, putting an arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her closer. "The last two weeks of term are going to be so _very_ much fun."

Hermione snorted softly. "No, it won't. We'll probably spend the _entire_ _time_ in _detention_."

The other three laughed as they kept walking along the hallway, moving into one of the intersections near the Great Hall. A familiar voice spoke up then, making the four of them pause and turn to look along the side hall that led towards the main stairways. "I am quite glad to see you four getting along, make no mistake about that, but please _do_ put a bit of distance between yourselves," Professor McGonagall said dryly. "This _is_ a school, and as Prefects you are supposed to set _good_ examples."

"Yes ma'am," Hermione said immediately, blushing as she moved away from Ginny.

Ginny let go of Draco and put about a foot of space between them as she added, "We're just friends, ma'am, really."

"That is very good, Miss Weasley," McGonagall replied, then looked pointedly at Harry and Draco.

Draco made as if to let go of Harry but Harry tightened his arm around Draco's waist, making it obvious he didn't want him to move away. Draco relaxed, keeping his arm around Harry's shoulders as Harry leaned against him a bit more and looked Professor McGonagall in the eye. "I'd rather not, Professor."

McGonagall pursed her lips in obvious annoyance and asked sharply, "Are you _daring_ me to give you detention, Mr. Potter?"

"No ma'am," Harry replied evenly, "but other couples are allowed to walk about the halls together. I see no reason why Draco and I can't do the same."

"As Head Boy you are expected to set an _example,_ Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied with a frown. "Walking about the halls hanging all over someone, least of all another young man who happens to be a Prefect, is not the sort of example expected of you."

"Perhaps the expectations should change then," Harry said calmly. "We're not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules by walking together. It shouldn't matter that we're both male, or even that we're both Prefects."

McGonagall began heatedly, " _Mister_ Potter--"

"They are not harming anyone, Minerva," Headmaster Dumbledore interrupted quietly from behind the four students, making them all look towards his voice to see him walking towards them. “And Mr. Potter is quite right that he is not breaking any rules.” He continued past the students, giving McGonagall a cordial smile. "I have just come from the kitchens, and the elves have quite outdone themselves." He offered McGonagall his arm, effectively closing the subject as he added, "Come along, Minerva. Everyone should be in the Great Hall by now." McGonagall pursed her lips but didn’t argue, taking Dumbledore's arm as he looked towards the four students. "I believe it would be best for you to use the main entrance, Harry. Hurry along now, we have guests for lunch and it will not do to keep them waiting."

"Yes sir," Harry replied, subtly urging Draco to continue the way they had been going. Hermione and Ginny moved to follow them, and all four of them walked quickly away as Dumbledore and McGonagall went the other direction.

"Guests?" Draco asked as soon as Dumbledore and McGonagall were out of earshot, looking at Ginny and Hermione. "Did you know about that?"

Harry pulled away from Draco a bit to make it easier for them to walk quickly as Hermione shook her head and replied, "Nothing about guests was mentioned at breakfast."

Harry frowned and sped up a little more, seeming not to notice that the other three were very nearly trotting down the hall to keep up with him as he thought about who might be visiting today of all days. He could think of no one except possibly a Ministry official sticking his or her nose into the fact the entire seventh year of the Slytherin House seemed to have declared for Voldemort. That meant that whoever it was would very likely be spreading rumors, whether good or bad, the moment they left the school. It also meant that Harry and Draco needed to make an impression on them that could not be quickly forgotten. Draco was widely known to be the only student in the school besides Hermione and Ginny who might be Harry's equal with a wand, and having Draco so very publicly defecting to Harry's side could only boost confidence in Harry's position.

The drone of voices from the open doors of the Great Hall increased quite a bit as they rounded the corner. Harry stopped suddenly a few feet before he would be within sight of anyone in the Hall, grabbing Draco's hand to stop him. "Hermione, Ginny, you two go in first and along the wall to our usual seats. I doubt anyone will notice you once Draco and I walk in, and then if there _is_ trouble you'll be able to direct our lot without having to yell past the Hufflepuffs."

Draco gave Harry's hand a squeeze and murmured, "Very smart."

Ginny and Hermione seemed not to even hear him as they nodded and continued towards the door. Hermione looked over her shoulder at Harry just before they reached the doorway and said, "Be careful."

Harry grinned at her. "Always. If things get rough, keep your head down."

The two girls turned to go into the Hall as Ginny grinned at Harry and said, "She will."

"Do you really think there will be trouble?" Draco asked quietly as soon as the girls stepped out of sight, making Harry look at him.

"Not really," Harry replied with a reassuring smile as he stepped closer to Draco. "Not here with the staff and all of Gryffindor to muck up any attempt. Even the first years would try to help, and some of them are pretty good." Draco chuckled softly and Harry grinned, moving his free hand to Draco's chest and leaning up to give Draco a lingering kiss before he pulled back to smile at him. "I do think that we need to make a rather strong impression on whoever the guests are, though. Ready to take a nice long walk with me?"

"Almost," Draco replied, lifting his free hand to cup Harry's jaw as he kissed him again, parting Harry's lips with his tongue. Harry moaned softly and swayed closer, his hand tightening on Draco's robes as their tongues slid slowly against each other. They continued to kiss leisurely for a little while before Draco finally pulled away to give Harry a wicked little grin. "Alright, _now_ we can go."

Harry laughed softly and gave him a quick kiss, then let go of Draco's robe and straightened it, keeping his gaze about the level of Draco's collarbone. His expression grew suddenly serious and after a moment he said very softly, "I know I haven't said it yet, not while you were awake anyway, but you _do_ know I love you, right?"

Draco's smile became soft and gentle as he ran his fingers down Harry's cheek and then under his jaw, tipping Harry's chin up to make Harry meet his gaze. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I haven't been wanting to hear you say it."

Harry swallowed, staring up into Draco's eyes for almost a minute before he finally said simply, "I love you." Draco's smile widened and he brushed his thumb along the curve of Harry's chin as Harry returned the smile and added, "I want to spend my life with you."

"I know," Draco replied with a sudden little grin, "You've said _that_ several times, as well as proposing marriage."

Harry let out a soft laugh. "I have, haven't I?" Draco nodded, obviously smug, and Harry leaned up to kiss him quickly before he said, "Well, you see, it's been on my mind quite a lot since that talk you had with Dumbledore and Snape last Sunday, among other things."

Draco blushed slightly and quickly changed the subject. "We should go in, Gin and Hermione will be sitting down by now."

Harry grinned and said teasingly, "You'd rather face an _army_ than talk about the things you said, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Draco replied, unable to help an answering grin as he moved his hands to Harry's waist and gave him a little push. "Facing the entire school sounds quite inviting by comparison."

Harry laughed and leaned up to kiss Draco quickly, then turned away and moved towards the door as he said cheerfully, "Let do it then. We're going for confident."

Draco smirked as he followed Harry, walking to his left and a bit behind him. He waited patiently until they had stepped into the Hall and people nearest the door were beginning to go quiet and turn to look at them, then he said quietly, "You look confident, I'll just be beautiful."

That comment was why the first thing everyone saw as they turned towards the doorway was Harry looking over his shoulder at Draco, laughing.

 

~*~*~

You know, _  
_For you I'd bleed myself dry._  
 _For you I'd bleed myself dry..._ _

~*~*~

 

Harry realized almost immediately that the Hall had fallen silent and turned his gaze towards the staff table, still grinning about what Draco had said as he and Draco walked further into the Hall. His eyes widened slightly behind his glasses when he saw one of the two people sitting at Dumbledore's right, but otherwise he tried very hard not to show any reaction. Harry had more than half expected to see a high-ranking Ministry official, so Kingsley Shacklebolt's presence wasn't completely unexpected. He had retired from being an Auror to be the Minister of Magic's personal assistant and he often handled things Madam Bones felt weren't worth her personal attention.

The man sitting next to Shacklebolt, however, was a complete shock. Antonio Zabini was giving Draco a look that could have curdled milk, and the cane laying on the table next to his right hand as good as screamed that he was there at Lucius Malfoy's behest. He was wearing ornate robes in the Slytherin House colors that combined with his bearing and his handsomely refined features to make him seem like a dandy of Lockhart's sort instead of someone to be feared. Harry knew that his appearance was deceptive though, and knew better than to take his presence as anything less than a direct threat. Zabini had been one of Voldemort's most trusted servants while Lucius was in Azkaban and Harry would never make the mistake of dismissing the man lightly.

Harry and Draco continued though the center of the room in complete silence other than the sound of their footsteps until they had almost reached the end of the tables. Zabini finally tore his gaze away from Draco then, looking past Kingsley at Dumbledore as he said rather more loudly than he needed to, "Headmaster, when I arrived I thought you said _all_ of the seventh year Slytherins had left the school. _Draco_ seems to be here, and I am quite certain he's in the same year as my Blaise."

"Indeed he is," Dumbledore replied cheerfully with a smile for Harry and Draco before he turned his gaze to Zabini. "I was not aware of it myself until just a few moments ago, but I must say I am quite proud of him for following his own convictions."

Zabini's eyebrows drew down at that and he looked back at Harry and Draco in time to see the two young men turn to walk together across the front of the room. Zabini's eyes widened with surprise and he just stared at them until they had almost reached the Gryffindor table before he finally exclaimed, "Draco! Surely you're not going to sit with _him_ instead of sitting with your own _House_."

Harry and Draco both stopped and turned to look at Zabini as Draco smiled and said calmly, "Yes sir, I am." Zabini spluttered, obviously angry, and Draco pretended to misunderstand it for concern as he added, "It's quite okay, sir. I have permission to eat with Harry and our friends."

"I-- You--! What about Blaise?!" Zabini asked indignantly. He stood up then and grabbed Lucius' cane off the table to hold it in front of him in an unconscious imitation of Lucius, completely oblivious to the fact several of the older students drew their wands. "You're to marry _my_ _son_ _,_ Draco, not that half-blooded _fool_. It's all been arranged, even the Ministry permissions for you to carry an heir!"

Draco looked at Harry and quirked one eyebrow questioningly at him, mentally filing away the information that he had evidently been intended for Blaise, not Rabastan as he had feared. Harry reached for Draco's hand with a smile and gave him a slight nod, and Draco's smile widened into a grin as he looked back up at Blaise's father and said calmly, "I'm sorry sir, but that will never happen. I intend to marry Harry Potter." Harry squeezed Draco's hand as a low surprised murmur went through the assembled students, and Draco couldn't resist the sudden urge to sneer and add, "Perhaps my father should have asked _me_ before he made promises about my life that I never had any intention of keeping."

"We'll see about that once you're back at the Manor," Zabini said then, roughly shoving his chair back and then moving to walk quickly along the table towards the end closest to Draco and Harry. "I am sure Rabastan will be quite happy to see you again. As I recall, he had no problem teaching you your _proper_ place. I am quite sure he can do so again."

Draco's expression grew very still and almost blank as he shuddered slightly at the memory of the last time he had been alone with Rabastan, the summer before. Voldemort had decided that the debacle at Lucius' trial had been at least partially Draco's fault and set Rabastan to teach him the error of his ways. Draco had spent nearly a week being systematically abused and degraded until Rabastan could find no fault with his obedience and willingness and finally declared him 'retrained'. Draco had obtained healing potions from the house elves as soon as he was certain Rabastan was really gone, but the memories of what had been done to him had supplied him with nightmares for months after the bruises faded.

Harry felt the shudder go through Draco and moved to stand protectively in front of him, glaring at Zabini even though he wasn't exactly sure what the man was talking about. He remembered that Draco had said something about the Lestranges being Voldemort's special pets and that they had mistreated him the past summer so thoroughly that Draco couldn't even stand to speak of it. Given the fact that Draco was able to speak easily about the sort of things that would have had most in tears, the idea that Zabini would threaten Draco with a repeat visit to the Lestranges made Harry want to kill the man then and there.

McGonagall moved as if to stand then but Dumbledore patted her arm and shook his head at her, making certain she sat back down before he went back to intently watching Zabini stalk around the end of the staff table. He wanted to see how Harry and Draco would handle a direct threat.

Hermione watched Harry and Draco as Zabini moved menacingly towards them and something in Draco's expression and the way Harry was standing in front of him caught her attention. She thought back over what Zabini had said as he rounded the corner of the table, then her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered that one of the Lestranges was named Rabastan. She jumped to her feet then, drawing her wand and gesturing towards the nearby Gryffindors for them to rise as well.

Ginny stood and moved immediately to one side to back Hermione up, even though she hadn’t quite figured out why Harry and Draco were reacting they way they were. She could tell that Zabini was threatening Draco and that was enough for her. No matter what Draco might have done in the past, he had become one of her best friends and she wasn't going to let him stand alone.

Zabini stopped abruptly as the rest of the Gryffindor Prefects stood and pointed their wands at him.

"That's quite far enough," Hermione said coldly. "I would suggest you not point that cane at anyone."

"And _I_ would suggest that you leave," Ginny added, giving Zabini a deceptively pleasant smile. "Your kind isn't welcome here."

"My _kind_?" Zabini repeated angrily, drawing himself up to his full height as he glared at Ginny. "Have you any idea who you're speaking to, girl?"

"She's speaking to a Death Eater," Harry answered for her in a hard tone of voice that made him sound almost like a different person, ignoring the gasps from some of the people in the Hall. Zabini turned to glare at him instead as Harry continued, "We all know what you are, Zabini, and have for quite a long time. We've just kept up the polite fictions because our elders weren't ready to make a stand."

Zabini and most of the students looked at the Headmaster then, but Dumbledore made no move to say anything. Zabini turned his attention back to Harry and smiled hatefully as he said, "They knew they would lose if they did, boy."

Harry returned the smile, his expression almost friendly in comparison to Zabini’s even though there was still something hard as steel in his eyes and manner. "No, they just hoped I would kill off that barmy bastard _you_ call Lord before they had to involve any more of my generation." Quite a few students snickered at that and a few muttered to their neighbors as Harry continued, "I thought that was a bloody stupid idea. Fifty on one are not odds I like, even if it _is_ fifty idiots, so my friends and I took things into our own hands. We gave Dumbledore an army whether he wanted it or not."

Zabini snorted and gazed disdainfully at the Prefects standing at the head of the Gryffindor table. "You think a few wet behind the ears _Gryffindors_ will do you any good against the Dark Lord?"

Harry let out a laugh that somehow didn't carry any amusement and then spoke, obviously very confident in his words and himself. "My _Gryffindors_ can do quite a lot more than you think, but they'll have plenty of help." He glanced around the Great Hall then, raising his voice as he called, "D.A., on your feet!"

Harry looked back at Zabini with what could only be called a smirk, and watched the older man’s face go very pale as students began standing up. Within less than a minute most of the Gryffindor table, approximately two-thirds of the Ravenclaws, and just over half of the Hufflepuff students had gotten to their feet amidst rustling noises. There were students of every year among them, but the upper years were best represented with every Prefect and almost every seventh year still in the school standing, as well as most of the fifth and sixth years.

The staff was as shocked by the show of numbers as Zabini was and the Great Hall was completely silent for a little while as everyone waited for someone else to make the next move. Professor Sprout was finally the first to speak, sounding very pleased as she called, "Oh, good show, Potter!"

Several of the other professors shushed her as Harry gave Sprout a tight grin and then turned back to Zabini and spoke, finally drawing Zabini's attention away from the standing students. "We're not afraid of Voldemort, and we're not afraid of you and your fellow _slaves_ , either."

"You should be, Potter," Zabini replied, still very pale. "He won't like that you've done this, not at all."

"Then he's quite welcome to come and try to teach me a lesson," Harry replied firmly. "I'm not at all hard to find." Harry paused and then added, "Unless of course he's _afraid_ to face me and my friends."

"The Dark Lord isn't afraid of a bunch of _children,_ " Zabini protested quickly, glaring at Harry.

Harry smiled. "Then he knows where to find me, doesn't he?"

Zabini stared at Harry for a moment and then seemed to make a decision and grew very calm. "Yes, he does. You'll pay for this with your life, as will your pet."

"I'll expect to see him quite soon then," Harry replied, reaching a hand out towards the Gryffindor table. "Ginny, a goblet."

Ginny picked up a goblet off the table and tossed it to Harry, who caught it without even bothering to look. He released Draco's hand finally to draw his wand, touching it to the goblet as he muttered, " _Portus_ _Contactus_ _Riddle Mansion_."

The goblet glowed blue and Harry lifted his gaze to meet Zabini's again, throwing the goblet at him without a word before the glow of the Portkey being activated had even faded.

Zabini's eyes barely had time to widen before the goblet hit the back of his hand and then he was gone.

 

~*~*~

It's true, look how they shine for you, _  
_Look how they shine for you,_  
 _Look how they shine..._  
 _Look at the stars,_  
 _Look how they shine for you,_  
 _And all the things that you do._ _

~*~*~

 

The silence in the Great Hall was almost deafening as students stared either at Harry and Draco or at Dumbledore, depending on where they were in the room and whether or not they could actually see Harry. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the professors, and the Headmaster were all watching Harry with varying expressions of shock.

A very few of the professors had expected to see Draco walk in at Harry's side, but none of the staff had known that more than half of the school was in the D.A. and loyal to Harry. The fact that Harry had created a Portkey, which was still quite against the law, right in front of them was also worrying enough to get their attention. The most troubling thing of all was that Harry hadn't even _pretended_ to defer to Dumbledore before essentially challenging Voldemort to attack Hogwarts. Even the _Ministry_ deferred to Dumbledore on anything concerning Hogwarts, but Harry Potter seemed to have decided he didn't have to any longer and had an army of children to back him up, which was a very scary thing indeed.

Harry was ignoring everyone else, watching with a slightly worried expression as Draco stared off into space. Draco’s expression was closed but Harry saw something in his eyes that he didn’t like, remembered fear and pain and something else that Harry couldn't really define. His first instinct was to pull Draco into his arms and reassure him that way, but Harry wasn't so naïve as not to know that Rabastan had likely hurt Draco physically. Being held while he was remembering what had happened might upset him further, so Harry just bit his lip and waited for Draco to fight his own demons.

Draco finally noticed the silence, blinking a bit as the expressionless mask he'd worn since he heard Rabastan's name fell away. He gave Harry a reassuring smile before he turned his head to scan the faces of the professors. Seeing that they all looked shocked, Draco glanced around at the students and then was the first to break the strained silence, his voice sounding overly loud in the quiet Hall as he said, "You lot can sit down now, you know. The big bad Muncher is all gone."

The almost involuntary laughter from many of the students standing, especially the Gryffindors, lessened the tension in the Hall by half. Students began sitting back down, those who had drawn their wands tucking them away again as they took their seats.

Harry knew that now definitely was not the time to ask Draco about exactly what had happened with the Lestranges, but he made a mental note to ask him later if he would talk about it. Harry knew that Draco wouldn't want to but he thought that talking about it might help Draco put it behind him. It wasn't quite the same thing, but talking about Sirius and Ron's deaths had helped Harry, and he thought that it might help Draco to tell someone what had happened to him.

Draco finally looked at Harry again then and smiled, his eyes the only thing giving away that he wasn’t completely calm again as Harry marveled at how strong he was. "I adore you," Harry said quietly, smiling.

Draco’s smile turned more than a bit smug at that, the shadowed look in his eyes beginning to fade a bit as he replied, "Yes, I know. I'm simply too perfect for you to resist." Harry laughed softly and then Draco gestured grandly towards the Gryffindor table, where most of the students had already taken their seats. "Shall we?" he asked, smirking at Harry as his blue eyes finally began to show a sparkle of good humor again.

"Yes, let's," Harry agreed and then turned to walk towards the Gryffindor table with Draco at his side. They both ignored the staff members as though what they wanted did not matter in the least, even though Harry fully expected to be called to task as soon as the adults had a chance to absorb the events of the last few minutes.

"Boys,” Dumbledore said calmly, rising to his feet as the entire Hall fell silent again. Almost everyone looked expectantly towards Harry and Draco, but they just ignored Dumbledore's non-specific summons and kept walking. The Headmaster frowned, speaking again more sharply as Harry and Draco reached the end of the Gryffindor table. "Mr. Potter!"

Harry stopped immediately and turned towards the Headmaster. "Sir?" Draco turned as well, not really even thinking about it as he took an extra step to stand so close to Harry that their arms and hands brushed against each other.

Dumbledore looked at them both for a long moment before he finally said, "I would like to speak to you in my office please, Mr. Potter. I would like for Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley to be present as well."

Hermione and Ginny moved as if to stand again but Harry glanced at them and shook his head, making Hermione bite her lip and then sit back down as Ginny did the same. McGonagall scowled at their open disobedience as Harry turned his attention back to the Headmaster and asked calmly, "Can't it wait until after the meal, sir? Draco and I haven't eaten since yesterday and we would like to do so with our friends."

"That is quite your own fault," McGonagall said suddenly, obviously angry as she started to rise from her chair. "Breakfast was served this morning as it is _ev_ \--"

Dumbledore reached out to put a restraining hand on her arm and she closed her mouth in mid-word, sitting back down abruptly. The Headmaster nodded quietly to Harry, his expression showing an odd mixture of surprise and what looked like respect. "At the end of the meal then, Mr. Potter."

"Yes sir," Harry replied as Draco tipped his head respectfully to the Headmaster, who returned the nod and sat down, staring at the boys thoughtfully.

Harry turned back towards the Gryffindor table and walked over to sit down across from Hermione. Draco followed him, sitting down in the open seat between Harry and Ginny only a moment later. Harry and Draco looked back up towards the staff table once they were seated, unsurprised that almost everyone there was still watching them, then the Headmaster finally looked away.

Dumbledore let his gaze roam over the rest of the students, making his voice overly cheerful as he said loudly, "Tuck in, everyone."

A very generous banquet appeared on the tables, finally distracting everyone from staring at Harry and Draco. Students began talking amongst themselves in excited murmurs and filling their plates but Harry ignored the food and looked out over the assembled students as he searched out faces of D.A. members amongst the crowd to try to gauge their morale. He was more than a bit surprised to see the way they were acting as platters were passed about and plates were filled, but he was glad of what he saw.

Harry had feared everyone would be as serious as he felt now that everything was sinking in, but the only students he saw who looked scared were Slytherins. The majority of the students who weren’t in the D.A. were talking and laughing almost as though nothing had happened, seeming not to care that Harry had sent Zabini back to Voldemort with a challenge, or that he had blatantly broken the law against the creation of Portkeys to do it. That made Harry wonder if they were just too self-absorbed to understand the implications of what he had done or if they really had that much faith in the ability of the D.A. to protect the school. He hoped that it was the latter, that they had too much faith in the D.A. to worry, but he suspected that most of the students simply didn't believe it was their problem.

Ginny had begun filling her plate when everyone else did, but Hermione and Draco both watched Harry throughout his inspection of the other tables. Harry's serious expression and the uncertain look in his eyes made it obvious to them both that he was having second thoughts. After a few minutes, Draco decided Harry had brooded about what had just happened quite long enough and elbowed Harry to get his attention. Harry looked at him, obviously surprised, and Draco smiled, reaching over to nick Harry's wand. He would have had to stand up to free his own from his robes and didn't want to draw everyone's attention to himself again so soon.

"What are you in the mood for, Harry?" Draco asked almost cheerfully. "I think I'd like a steak, myself."

Harry looked at Draco, his expression growing wistful. What Harry wanted most just then was quite against the rules, but he wanted to be honest so he told Draco anyway. "A snog," he finally replied, a slight smile curving his lips. "You look more appetizing than any of the food."

"Alright." Draco leaned closer to Harry with a little grin, giving Harry barely enough time to widen his eyes before Draco's lips were on his and their eyes fluttered shut. Harry leaned closer to Draco with a soft little noise and lifted one hand to rest his fingers against Draco's jaw as he deepened the kiss, sucking on Draco's tongue. There were gasps and exclamations as people noticed and began to direct their neighbors to look, a few even standing up to get a better view, but Harry and Draco ignored them.

Hermione glanced at Ginny for help and then rolled her eyes when she saw Ginny was blithely eating her lunch as she watched Harry and Draco kiss, obviously enjoying herself. Hermione sniffed and then looked covertly towards the staff table to see what their reaction was. She bit her lip at the expressions on the professors' faces, especially McGonagall, who looked completely outraged, and hoped that Harry and Draco weren't getting themselves in even more trouble.

Hermione looked back at Harry and Draco, trying to decide whether she, being the Head Girl, should ask them to stop. It was theoretically her responsibility to see that students did not break the rules, but Harry was her equal as Head Boy so she might have a bit of an excuse not to interfere with what he chose to do. She usually didn't anyway, often even helping him break the rules, and the entire staff knew it quite as well as she did herself. Besides, she didn't really _want_ to make them stop. The look on Harry's face as he told Draco he wanted a kiss had made her think he honestly needed one, for whatever reason, and she really saw no harm in it.

Harry and Draco were oblivious to Hermione's quandary and everything else around them as they changed the angle to deepen their kiss. They were obviously in no hurry to end it, but the Headmaster suddenly cleared his throat quite loudly and called, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, would you please be so kind as to refrain from such behavior at meals?"

A chorus of surprised murmurs went through the Hall as Draco slowly pulled away from Harry, ending the kiss and then looking up at Dumbledore. "We'll try, sir," Draco answered in a calm voice that was obviously meant to carry.

Harry gave Draco a mildly annoyed look because he hadn't intended to concede even that much, but Draco pretended not to see it. Dumbledore watched them with an inscrutable expression for a moment before he replied, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Your cooperation is sincerely appreciated."

"You're welcome, sir." Draco turned his attention back to Harry, lowering his voice to a more normal conversational tone as he smiled and said, "Oh, don't glare at me, Harry. I said we'd _try_ , I didn't say how hard."

Harry's frown cleared away and then he gave Draco a little smile as he said, "I suppose I can live with that."

"You can, I'm quite sure," Draco replied with a grin. "And I’ve just gotten his unspoken permission to snog you anywhere _else_ I like, so it was quite worth it."

Harry looked surprised and then grinned, suddenly much happier with the situation. "You're a bloody genius!"

Draco smirked, preening smugly. "Yes, I know. It's a very _difficult_ job, but one of us has to be the smart one."

Harry laughed and elbowed him playfully before he looked across the table at Hermione, who was watching them with a bemused expression. "Pass the roast, would you please?" Harry asked, still grinning. "I'm starving."

"Really, Harry..." Hermione reached for the nearby platter of roast and then offered it across the table to Harry. "You should at least make a _little bit_ of an effort to behave."

Draco chuckled and tapped his own plate with Harry's wand, saying clearly, "Steak, medium rare, with mushrooms and onions."

There was a soft pop as Draco's order appeared on his plate and then he laid Harry's wand on the table between himself and Harry. Draco picked up his knife and fork to begin slicing his steak, completely oblivious to the surprised looks he was getting from the few Gryffindors close enough to have noticed he'd taken Harry's wand without asking and then used it as if it were an everyday thing. That Draco could use Harry's wand at all was surprising enough, but that Harry would let him was unheard of. Unless there was a very good reason for it, Harry didn't let anyone touch his wand except Hermione and Ginny.

Harry was oblivious to the attention Draco's use of his wand had garnered as he snorted at Hermione's statement, picking up his fork to move several thick slices of roast beef to his plate. "I _am_ making an effort to behave myself, Hermione. If I wasn't, Draco and I would be in our room right now eating in peace where it wouldn't matter if we felt like occasionally taking a break to snog."

Draco looked up from his plate to grin at Harry, his blue eyes twinkling. "That sounds like a very nice idea for dinner."

Harry returned Draco's grin as he passed the platter of roast back to Hermione without looking at her. "Better yet, afterwards." Draco's eyebrows went up and Harry's expression grew positively wicked. "Dobby would be quite happy to obtain a few _fun_ desserts for us to share."

Draco's grin grew just as wicked as Harry's, causing Hermione to throw up her hands as she exclaimed, "I give up!"

Ginny swallowed a mouthful of chicken and then grinned at Hermione. "It's about time! You haven't a prayer of winning against these two when they're working together."

Hermione sniffed and started filling her plate, pointedly ignoring the way Harry and Draco snickered.

 

 


	4. Shiver

*~*~*

__So I look in your direction,_ _  
_But you pay me no attention, do you?_  
 _I know you don't listen to me,_  
 _'Cause you see straight through me, don't you?_ _ _

*~*~*

 

The uproar in the crowded staff room after lunch was even worse than Harry had expected it to be.

Several of the senior members of the D.A. were invited to the meeting, there at Hermione's suggestion to observe and add their support for Harry. Hermione had told them on the way to the meeting that she and Ginny trusted Draco implicitly and then Harry had asked for their support, and that was enough for them. Susan Bones and Ernie Macmillan had come to represent the Hufflepuffs, with Terry Boot and Padma Patil there for the Ravenclaws and Ginny and Hermione both there to represent the Gryffindors. Draco had joked that he could try to find a Slytherin to accompany him but really didn't recommend it because most of them were nasty little snakes, which made Harry reply that he would stand as the second Slytherin if he needed to, causing the others to laugh.

The 'adults' present at the meeting consisted of the school staff and Kingsley Shacklebolt, and they all seemed to have a different opinion on the current situation. Shacklebolt had a personal grudge against the entire Malfoy family and seemed to have decided to take it out on Draco as best he could by refusing to recognize that he might be on the side of the Light despite Dumbledore's assurances that he had tested Draco himself. McGonagall was still upset about Harry and Draco's 'display' in the Great Hall and the fact that she had not been apprised of the true extent of Harry's defense club, so she had taken Shacklebolt's side. Professor Vance spent most of the discussion sitting in the corner with a cup of tea pointing out how reckless Harry was being, and kept saying that he would get more people killed despite the fact she said the D.A. had her whole-hearted approval. Snape just stood back and sneered as he listened to everyone argue, seemingly enjoying the chaos and making no move to aid anyone's cause.

Dumbledore himself was not terribly happy, but he had been impressed by how the boys handled themselves and by how organized Harry's club seemed to be so he was finally willing to listen to Harry's plans. Professors Sprout and Hooch were firmly on Harry's side and quick to praise him before they sat back to listen, but only Professor Flitwick seemed to agree with them so they were definitely in the minority. Professor Flitwick listened to all of the arguments for almost ten minutes, trying the entire time to get a word in edgewise, and then finally levitated himself up onto the table and told Harry quite loudly that he thought he was doing a brilliant job. Flitwick had jumped down and stormed out of the room then, followed by several other professors who were already tired of the debate and willing to just wait and find out what happened.

The room had quieted for only a few moments after Flitwick and the others left before the 'discussion' was in full swing again. Fifteen minutes later there still had been little or no headway made because of all the arguing and talking over each other that was going on. Harry was right in the thick of it but the other students remained quiet for the most part, listening to the adults argue about things that the students didn't really think were important anyway. The meeting was very educational for the D.A. members and for Draco, who had heard Harry scorn Dumbledore's reaction to Voldemort but had never seen it for themselves.

The D.A. was a bit surprised to find themselves very unimpressed with the Order members who were present, despite the stories Harry and Hermione had told them about meetings. No meeting of _their_ group would ever get so completely out of control and off subject. They always had a limited time to discuss things and they were very used to structured, almost moderated meetings where Harry and Hermione kept everyone in check and made certain all viewpoints were heard. The chaos of the meeting with Dumbledore wasn't just disappointing to the senior D.A. members, it was frightening. If Dumbledore had so little control over his professors and his right-hand man in the Order, then how was he supposed to defeat the Death Eaters?

"I still think the boy should return to the Ministry with me and be checked out by the Unspeakables," Shacklebolt said loudly for the fourth time, his deep bass cutting through the other arguments going on around the table. "He can't be trusted until they've gotten the truth out of him, whatever they have to do to get it."

"Over my cold, dead body," Harry said angrily, glaring across the table at Shacklebolt. "You are _not_ going to take Draco back to the Ministry, or anywhere else. He's staying with me."

The D.A. members were no more pleased by Shacklebolt's threats than Harry was, despite the fact they had no reason to trust Draco other than Harry and Hermione's word. To them, Harry's word would have been enough to give Draco a chance. The fact Hermione and Ginny had been present while Draco was questioned under Veritaserum and now claimed him as family told the D.A. that his reliability was set in stone. All of them were giving Shacklebolt dirty looks until Hermione muttered something about thickheaded men that made Ginny, Padma, and Susan giggle.

"It _will_ be over your dead body it you're wrong about him, boy." Shacklebolt glared right back at Harry, ignoring the D.A. members and the quelling look Dumbledore was giving him. "His father's the worst of their lot, and he's just as evil as--"

"Do be quiet, Kingsley," McGonagall said suddenly, cutting Shacklebolt off mid-word. She had been backing Shacklebolt so staunchly until then that the others in the room all looked at her in surprise. She took advantage of the quiet moment to go on, "Have you not listened to a _word_ Albus has said this morning?"

"The boy was questioned quite thoroughly under Veritaserum," Snape added calmly, finally tossing in his knut's worth. "He is no more a Death Eater than you are, Kingsley."

Shacklebolt snorted and folded his arms across his chest, obviously unconvinced as he stared at Snape. "And how are we to know that you and Potter both aren't thinking with your ... _affections_ ... for the boy?"

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you attempting to hint that I might have untoward intentions towards one of my students?"

Shacklebolt rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed by Snape's cold tone. "I'm not sure you have 'untoward feelings' towards anything, Snape. I _do_ know the boy is your godson though, and that you've often protected him before when he should have been punished."

McGonagall blinked, looking from Snape to Shacklebolt and back again. "Draco Malfoy is your _godson_?"

Snape gave a short nod. "Yes, he is. Lucius insisted upon it when he was born because we were friends in school and I have no living relatives. I fail to see what bearing that has on the current situation."

"That's because it really has nothing to do with _anything_ ," Hermione said suddenly, taking advantage of the gap in the adults' arguing and bringing everyone's attention to her. "There can be no doubt that Draco would die to protect Harry. He swore an oath while under Veritaserum that he loves Harry and would die to protect him, and that makes him at least as trustworthy to us as _any_ of you."

Ginny nodded while Terry Boot added quickly, "Harry's not as stupid as you lot in the Order seem to think he is, either. He'd never rush into something like this unless he was sure he could trust the bloke he was putting his faith in. Jumping in feet first would break the most important rule of the D.A., and Harry would never do that."

"And what might that rule be?" McGonagall asked, curious despite the fact it had little to do with the current problem.

All of the D.A. members except for Harry spoke up immediately, very nearly in unison. "Don't get killed!"

Shacklebolt rolled his eyes as the D.A. members all grinned at each other, then Susan Bones went on in a lecturing-to-idiots sort of tone, "If Harry were to date a Death Eater or even someone who might possibly _sympathize_ with them, he would be signing his own death warrant _and_ ours too, and he knows it. He wouldn't do that. No matter how reckless he might be with his own life, he cares too much about the rest of us to put us in harm's way."

Padma nodded. "Harry says we can trust Draco to help us all, and we all trust Harry. The D.A. is behind them both one hundred percent."

"Thank you," Harry said, smiling warmly at Padma and then at the other D.A. members. He looked back along the table towards Dumbledore and Shacklebolt after only a moment though, and his voice grew hard as he continued, "So, there's no reason to continue arguing over how to 'handle' us. The D.A. stands together, as always, and Draco stands with us. Either you trust us _all_ , or you don't trust us and there's no reason for us to be here wasting our time. Where you stand in the coming fight is completely up to you. _We_ stand against Voldemort and all he believes in, and intend to kill him."

"I know exactly where I stand." Shacklebolt stood and leaned one hand on the table as he pointed with the other hand at Draco. "And I'm taking that Death Eater in training back to the Ministry for questioning."

Harry leapt to his feet, drawing his wand almost too quickly to follow and pointing it between the burly Auror's eyes as he spoke in a soft, dangerous tone that few in the room had ever heard him use. "Don't make me hurt you, Kingsley. You're supposed to be on our side. Act like it."

"Do sit down, both of you," Dumbledore said then, frowning at them both. Shacklebolt made no move to obey as he gave Harry a calculating look, trying to decide whether on not Harry would really curse him, and Dumbledore spoke again much more sharply. "Kingsley! Sit down this instant!"

Shacklebolt continued to glare across the table at Harry and Draco, but he sat down in his chair again rather abruptly.

Dumbledore turned his attention to Harry then and said in a calm, firm tone, "Harry, do sit down, please. We are not here to fight. No one will force Draco to go anywhere, so I rather think he will be staying with you."

Harry snorted, lowering his wand but making no move to sit down as he glared at Dumbledore. "I see no reason why I should sit down, none of you are really listening. You were there, sir, you _saw_ Draco take the Veritaserum and you personally asked him every question you could think of to double-check his loyalty. You know just as well as I do that he _can_ be trusted. All of this arguing and threatening about what will be done to him is nothing short of offensive, and I see no reason for us to stay here and tolerate it."

"Be that as it may, Harry," Dumbledore replied calmly, "that does not completely excuse your behavior today. That is what we are here to discuss, not young Mr. Malfoy's allegiances."

"And your behavior in the last hour has been abominable," McGonagall added immediately, frowning.

"It has not been so terrible as that, Minerva," Dumbledore disagreed, gazing at McGonagall over his glasses. "The boy is protecting someone that has no one else to turn to, someone whom he feels is in desperate need of his care. He should be commended for it, however misguided you may think him to be." He turned his attention back to Harry and added calmly, "Please do sit down, Harry, so we might discuss this rationally."

Harry sat down even as he said, "Sit here and let you lecture me, you mean."

Shacklebolt snorted. "You need lectured, boy. Trusting a pretty piece of tail just because he's good on his back is going to get you killed."

Harry bristled angrily again, and was about to speak up when Dumbledore said quellingly, "That is _quite_ enough, Kingsley. Harry is correct to point out that I helped to question Draco. However unlikely it may seem, Kingsley, I _do_ believe young Mr. Malfoy to be loyal to Harry. You may believe that, or leave the room. Your current behavior is doing nothing to help the situation we find ourselves in and will no longer be tolerated in my presence. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, sir. I will accept _your_ word," Shacklebolt said grudgingly and then was silent, obviously still suspicious but evidently able to control himself when he needed to.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said quietly. "I will admit that I did not trust the boy's motives when I discovered Harry had become attached to him, but Severus, Remus, and I were all unable to find any evidence whatsoever that he was under the influence of any outside magic. He willingly allowed himself to be questioned under Veritaserum, answering every question posed to him with no hint of reluctance and often supplying much more information than was asked for. Unlikely as it may seem to those of us who know his father, Draco Malfoy is a reasonably honest young man who fully supports Harry Potter."

"Thank you, sir," Draco said quietly, giving the Headmaster a respectful nod.

Dumbledore smiled. "You are quite welcome, Draco. I may not approve of some of Harry's actions recently, but I find that I do approve of his attempts to help you escape your father's plans for your future."

"If that is true," Shacklebolt finally said after a few moments of silence, "that only leads me to question Harry's motives."

"Oh, fuck you," Harry said suddenly, leaping to his feet again so quickly that he toppled his chair backwards. "I don't have to stay here and listen to this."

Harry whirled away and moved towards the door to leave but Draco stood and moved after him more quickly, stopping Harry after only a few feet and moving to stand in front of him. "Harry, stay, please. You need to know what they're planning. We all do."

Harry stared into Draco's eyes, ignoring the other people in the room. "I will not listen to that smug bastard try and make us both out to be Death Eaters while they all just sit there and let him. He's not going to listen to us or change his mind, so it's best I just leave."

"No, Harry, it is not," Dumbledore said firmly, causing Harry and Draco to both look at him. "Draco is quite right, you need to put aside your differences with the Order and be aware of what is happening." He turned his attention to Shacklebolt without giving Harry a chance to respond. "I believe you owe them both an apology, Kingsley, and then I think that it might be best for you to wait in my office."

Shacklebolt looked as if he had just eaten something quite nasty. He stood and said in a clipped tone, "Potter, Malfoy, I regret anything I might have said that was not true, and apologize." He didn't wait for a response before he turned away and stalked to the door that let out into the main hallway, closing it behind himself much harder than was necessary.

Draco silently urged Harry back to the table so they could take their seats as Snape smirked and said, "Well done, Albus. It's rather nice to see someone _else_ with their tail in a twist for a change."

Dumbledore gave Snape an amused look. "I believe it will be good for him."

McGonagall sniffed. "Kingsley is entirely too certain that his opinions are the correct ones, much like another young man I might name." She looked pointedly at Harry. "Some young men seem never to learn that they should listen to their elders and do as they are told."

"No one likes to be ignored between bouts of being ordered about like a pawn on a chessboard," Ginny said firmly, looking at McGonagall. "Harry's not the best strategist on our side, but at least he knows that and leaves the chess games to those who are better at it."

Terry Boot nodded. "We tell Harry he's got to rethink his position all the time, ma'am, and he does because he knows we take his point of view into consideration. Harry _is_ the one that the prophecies say has to kill Voldemort, so it's only fair that he be a part of deciding how best to do it. "

"Harry learns as much from being wrong as he learns any other way," Padma added, grinning suddenly. "We shoot his theories and ideas down all the time."

Harry gave Padma a wry little smile. "You'd think that eventually I might come up with the perfect plan."

"You're not dead yet, Harry," Ernie replied, grinning at him. "You've still got a chance."

Draco snickered softly at that and Harry elbowed him lightly. "Shut up, you. You're just supposed to follow me around and back me up, not help them laugh at me."

Draco's pale eyes were twinkling with amusement as he said mock-seriously, "Harry-love, I would follow you through the very gates of hell with only a snowball to fight the fires, but I'm still going to laugh at you. It's one of my favorite hobbies."

"Smart-arse," Harry replied, trying not to laugh.

Draco smirked. "And quite proud of it, thank you." He looked around at the rest of the room and then went on in a businesslike, reasonable tone. "Now, if you ask me -- and yes, I know that no one has, but I'm putting in my two pence worth anyway because he's my..." He searched for the right word and then just smirked. "... Harry. I think the Order has been going about things the wrong way for quite a long time now. Voldemort _knows_ you lot are more concerned with delaying the fight than you are with winning, and he's using it against you. While you've sat back and debated how best to keep from all-out war, he's put men in the Ministry and taken over businesses that are vital to Wizarding society, quietly taking control of the country right out from under your noses. If you lot don't stop delaying things and end it soon, you just might find that killing him doesn't do you any good to speak of. You'll be living in a country owned and operated by Death Eaters, and they _will_ fight on without him. I know of several men who could easily step into his position if given as little as a few weeks to consolidate their backing."

Terry nodded quickly, leaning forward in his chair. "That's exactly what we think, too, Draco." He turned his gaze towards Dumbledore and went on with barely a pause, "We've discussed it in the D.A. quite a lot this term, sir, and came to a unanimous decision on when and where we should make our stand. The Order may think Harry acted a bit rashly today, but _we_ all believe today's incident works in our favor and that he did the right thing. We agreed months ago that the best place and time to face Voldemort is here at Hogwarts sometime before Harry leaves school. We're ready for this fight and have a plan ready to be put into effect on half an hour's notice, day or night. The wards around the castle will give us that much time even if they catch us by surprise, and keep them from using the worst Unforgivables, so there's nothing to worry about. Remus made several copies of a map that will show the location of everyone on the grounds for us, and Dobby has promised that he will get the other elves to help us move quickly around the castle to get into position to defend it. The Death Eaters won't have a prayer."

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes then as the D.A. members settled back and waited for the adults to digest what Terry had said. Dumbledore was the one to finally break the silence, watching the students gathered at the far end of the table and looking somewhere between surprised and wry. "Children, I believe you finally have our undivided attention. Please, tell us more."

Terry looked questioningly at Harry, who laughed and made a shooing motion towards him. "Keep going, Terry, you're on a roll. You've always been better at the strategy than me. I just play target, remember?"

Terry grinned at Harry and then turned his attention to Dumbledore again and began to explain the plans the D.A. had made while the adults in the room hung on his every word.

 

*~*~*

And on and on,   
From the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep,  
I'll be there by your side; just you try and stop me.  
I'll be waiting in line, just to see if you care.

*~*~*

 

Harry flopped down on the couch nearest the main fireplace with a groan, letting his head fall back to stare up at the ceiling. "I never want to do that again. Not ever!" He pretended not to notice there were at least thirty students scattered about the Gryffindor common room listening in to find out what had gone on in the meeting. Harry hoped they would lose interest soon so he could be with Draco and his friends without feeling like he was in a fishbowl.

Draco snickered and sat down next to Harry, reaching to ruffle his hair. "Poor baby, had to think."

Harry snorted and turned his head to give Draco a dirty look. "I've got a pounding headache from listening to that lot. I'm not very much fun when I've got a headache. Just so you know."

"Understatement of the century," Hermione said, looking amused as she walked past Seamus to sit on the arm of the chair Ginny had just claimed as her own.

Ginny slid an arm around Hermione's waist as she grinned at Draco, adding, "He either bites everyone's head off or turns into a whiny brat and wants someone to feel sorry for him, but he always refuses to take a potion for it. It's really rather annoying." Harry lifted one hand and flipped her off without a word, making Draco laugh as Ginny smirked at Harry and said, "Sorry sweetcheeks, I'm taken."

Seamus snickered. "Good one, Gin."

Harry's nose wrinkled into an expression of disgust as he lifted his head to look at Ginny. "Sweetcheeks?"

"Thank you, Seamus. It was shamelessly stolen from my eldest sib. He's got a bit of a knack for things like that," Ginny replied, still smirking. "And it's another way of saying that you've got a lovely arse, Harry."

Harry blinked and then laughed, letting his head fall back against the couch again as he closed his eyes. "Gee, thanks. Now let me suffer in peace."

Draco snickered and stood up, looking down at Harry as he drew his wand. "Alright you, I can see that I'm going to have to teach you how to get rid of excess tension."

Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Draco, suddenly grinning a bit despite the pain still evident in the lines around his eyes. "Does this involve privacy and a decided lack of clothing?"

"You wish," Draco replied, laughing. "Lay down on the couch, face down."

Seamus smirked. "Ooh, you like an audience. Kinky."

Draco rolled his eyes at Seamus. "In your fondest dreams only, Finnegan." He looked back at Harry, gesturing with one hand for Harry to move. "Come on, then, I'm about make a believer out of you."

Harry shifted on the couch to stretch out on his belly even though he looked a bit wary. "A believer in what?"

Draco smirked again, looking positively wicked. "Something I learnt from watching the Weasley twins in the locker room after Quidditch matches, though I'm sure they hadn't the slightest idea I was there."

Ginny grinned, suddenly interested. "Are you going to give him one of those ghost-foot massages George does that turns people into a pile of goo?"

Draco laughed and nodded. "Yes, I thought I might. It works rather well on my headaches, though it is a bit tricky to cast it on myself." He pointed his wand at Harry, smirking at him as he asked innocently, "Do you want me to silence you, or do you think you can handle it?"

"Uhm..." Harry looked warily at Draco a few moments and then said slowly, "I think I can handle a massage that doesn't involve getting undressed."

Draco smirked. "Alright then." He pretended not to notice the students moving closer to watch as he waved his wand in a complicated little pattern and murmured the spell under his breath.

One of the girls watching over the back of the couch gasped as an obvious footprint appeared on Harry's back, then another joined it on the other side. The 'ghost feet' began to move on Harry's back then, moving Harry's flannel shirt about a bit as they flexed and moved, and Hermione leaned closer to watch, fascinated. "Draco, you must teach me how to do that."

"Of course, Hermione," Draco replied, smiling as he tucked his wand away in his robes again and moved to sit on the arm of the couch near Harry's head. "It's really not that difficult if you can get the wand motion right. Just let me know when you'd like to work on it."

Hermione gave him a quick smile. "I will, thank you."

Harry, who had been rather rigid and unresponsive to the massage, suddenly let out a groan as the feet found the tension in his shoulders and then said in a low awed rumble, "Oh _wow_."

Draco snickered, reaching down to deftly take off Harry's glasses and then beginning to polish them on a handkerchief he seemed to produce out of thin air. "It is rather nice, isn't it? Brings entirely new meaning to letting someone walk all over you."

Draco completely ignored the looks he was getting from Seamus and then Dean, who had just walked over to join the group. Draco knew Harry usually didn't let anyone else handle his glasses but he also knew that Harry trusted him enough that Harry wouldn't mind him holding them for him at the moment. He was aware how important Harry's glasses were to him because of Harry's near-blindness when he wasn't wearing them, but they would be uncomfortable while Harry was lying face down on the couch. As long as Harry's glasses were in Draco's possession, Draco would stay within an arm's length of Harry -- about the distance Harry could see clearly without them -- and he would make sure no one bothered Harry seriously.

"If it was always this nice, I'd not mind it at all." Harry's voice was little more than a pleased rumble as he lay there and let the 'feet' continue the massage, tension visibly draining out of him as they worked. "I can only think of two things that feel better than this does."

Draco smirked and looked down at the back of Harry's head, his fingers still busily polishing the glasses. "And that would be...?"

Harry turned his head to give Draco a languid smile. "Shagging you and feeling that lovely talented mouth of yours on my --"

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing bright red as several of the students who had been watching giggled. "There are children around!"

Harry smiled beatifically. "So tell 'em t' go away."

"Honestly!" Hermione sniffed, giving him a dirty look. "This is the common room, that means they are _allowed_ to be here."

"Then they're old 'nough to hear wha' ever I mi' say," Harry mumbled, still smiling as the ghost-feet moved back down his back, kneading muscles and working out tension he hadn't even realized was there.

"I'm of the firm opinion that nosy little blighters deserve whatever education they get by listening in. I learnt quite a lot that way myself, after all, and I'm quite sure I was younger at the time than anyone here might be." Draco looked decidedly smug as he tucked the handkerchief away in his robes, then folded Harry's glasses neatly and hooked one earpiece into the collar of his jumper as he looked at Hermione again.

Hermione pursed her lips, trying not to be amused by the way Draco had taken possession of Harry's glasses. "That doesn't make it _right_ , Draco. You shouldn't have learnt some things so young either."

Draco tilted his head as if conceding the point but he was still obviously smug as he replied, "Be that as it may, I did and it was because of my natural curiosity. I've never been one not to watch or listen just because I knew I shouldn't, and I'm not about to start. Knowledge -- all knowledge, not just what they choose to teach us in school -- is power, and I intend to be a very powerful wizard one day."

"Y' are already," Harry murmured, his eyes closed and an expression on his face that made it look as if he had just gotten shagged fabulously well. "N' body 'round 'ere can beat you in a duel 'cept me."

Draco smirked down at Harry, running his fingers through Harry's hair in a decidedly possessive way as he noticed that the spell had ended. "We are rather well-matched, I think."

Harry purred and nodded slightly, his green eyes opening to look up at Draco as he smiled again. "I agree." Dean rolled his eyes and looked away as Harry lifted one hand to grab Draco's wrist and tug on it, adding, "C'mere, let me use you as a pillow."

Draco laughed. "You shouldn't go to sleep here, Harry. There's a perfectly good bed in our room, and you can actually stretch out there."

Harry let go of Draco's wrist, getting a mulish look on his face as he rolled onto his side and looked up at Draco. "I don't wanna go to bed yet, not unless I'm getting to shag you properly for my troubles. I just want a nice cuddle."

Draco snickered and gave Harry's shoulder a bit of a push. "Budge up then, you've not left me room to even sit down."

Harry shifted to sit up and waited for Draco to sit down next to him, then made a purring noise and crawled half into Draco's lap, wrapping both arms around him. "Mm, much better." He kissed Draco softly and then laid his head on Draco's shoulder with a happy little sigh and closed his eyes.

Hermione and Ginny watched them, both grinning as Draco stroked Harry's back languidly and murmured with obvious amusement, "I'm so glad you approve of my pillow abilities."

Ginny giggled at that as Dean snorted and asked pointedly, "Hermione, are you going to tell us what the professors had to say, or are you just going to watch the bloody lovebirds?"

Harry opened his eyes to look over at Dean and said very calmly and clearly, "Don't be an arse just because you didn't want me while you had me. If you don't want to see us together, learn to look at someone else."

Dean bristled a bit at that but he didn't have a chance to reply before Draco added just loudly enough for Dean to hear him, "Don't take your idiocy out on Harry, or anyone else for that matter. They all tried to talk to you, and you ignored them. You know as well as I do that it's your own fault you're standing over there and I'm the one holding Harry, just as well as you should know I'm not going to make the mistakes you did and leave him feeling like he's just a convenient piece of arse."

Dean stared at Draco a long moment, his anger draining away to leave nothing but hurt in his eyes. "That was cruel even for you, Malfoy."

"The truth often is," Draco replied calmly. "Perhaps if it's pointed out to you often enough how much of a bastard you were to Harry, you'll not make your next boyfriend so miserable he sits on a tower contemplating what might happen to his family if he stepped off."

Harry jerked his head up to stare at Draco, blurting, "How did you kno--" He broke off suddenly as he realized that everyone was staring at him and turned bright red, hiding his face against Draco's neck. "God," he said, his voice muffled by Draco's robes, "I hoped no one would figure that out."

Draco kissed Harry's hair and then said quietly, "They need to know. You should never have hid it from them that you were so unhappy, Harry. It would kill them to lose you like that."

Hermione looked worried as she nibbled her lower lip for a moment, and her eyes were suspiciously bright when she finally spoke. "Harry... Why didn't you say anything?"

Something in her tone of voice made Harry turn his head towards her and he looked stricken when he saw her glistening eyes. "Oh, Hermione, no, don't cry. It was just me being stupid one night, not every time I went. I never even got close to jumping."

"But Harry, thinking about suicide is just as bad as trying." Hermione blinked a few times, obviously trying to keep control of herself. "How could you even _think_ about it?"

Harry swallowed hard and looked down, unable to meet her pained gaze as he said softly, "I just-- I felt like there had to be some _reason_ Dean didn't want me like I needed him to, that maybe there was something wrong with me and I'd always be miserable and lonely. That was just so depressing that one night I found myself looking down at the ground and wondering if my magic would save me whether I wanted it to or not."

No one but Seamus noticed Dean quickly leave the common room then as Draco snorted and said to Harry, "There _is_ quite a bit wrong with you, you prat." Harry looked at him, surprised and a little hurt, but Draco didn't give him a chance to speak as he went on firmly, "You won't ask for help half so often as you should, you _constantly_ let people walk all over you just because you like them, and you have simply _atrocious_ taste in clothes."

Ginny snickered, adding, "Don't forget the shoes."

Draco nodded to her, grinning suddenly. "Yes, quite." He looked back at Harry, his pale blue eyes twinkling. "And you have the most god-awful shoes it has ever been my misfortune to stumble over at four in the morning."

Hermione couldn't help a little giggle at that as Harry blinked a couple of times and stared at Draco. "You noticed my shoes at four in the morning?"

Draco let out a short laugh. "No, I noticed them when I tossed them in the floor last night. I _stumbled over them_ at four in the morning." Draco snorted, grinning as he added, "It would have been bloody embarrassing to get away from the Munchlings without a scratch and then trip in the dark and wind up in the infirmary with a broken neck."

Harry snickered and said with a little grin, "Oh, I do love you."

Draco preened. "Yes, of course you do. I'm perfect."

Hermione giggled again at that as Ginny smirked and said, "Careful, Drake, you'll be needing to buy new hats before too long."

Seamus spoke up suddenly then, interrupting them and making them all look towards him as he said in a very flat, angry tone, "I can't believe you just laid that all on Dean. He treated you as best he knew how, Harry, and cares about you quite a lot more than any of you are giving him credit for."

Harry frowned and looked at Seamus. "It was the truth, Seamus. It might have seemed to you like Dean treated me perfectly fine -- and I'm glad for his sake that's so, since I'm pretty sure the idiot's in love with your oblivious arse -- but _I_ needed more than someone who liked to shag me and show me off at parties. Dean was too busy worrying about whether or not you might want to shag later to be bothered with someone as 'demanding and girly' as I am, and he's better off without me."

Seamus stared at Harry, his eyes wide as he spluttered incoherently, then he finally managed to ask, "What do you mean, in love with me?! He's in love with _you_ , you git!"

Harry snorted. "Not bloody likely. If he was, he'd not have acted like I wanted him to kiss a snake every time I tried to get near him while you were around."

"Dean hates snakes," Seamus said, still looking a bit shell-shocked as he latched onto the one bit of what Harry said that made sense to him.

"Yes, Seamus, I _know_ he hates snakes," Harry said, rolling his eyes and speaking slowly as if Seamus were an idiot. "He hated being with me any time he thought that you might pay attention to him, too."

"I --" Seamus blinked a few times, then turned suddenly and started towards the Prefects' quarters, oblivious to the whispers among the younger students.

Ginny waited until Seamus was out of sight before she said conversationally, "Someone should have done that a year ago. I hope you picked the right time, Harry."

Harry turned towards her, shrugging a bit. "It needed to be said. I'm tired of Dean following me around like a kicked puppy every time Seamus leaves him behind to go run about with someone else. Dean deserves better, and Seamus is gone on him anyway, he just wouldn't admit it because he's gotten it into his head Dean's not interested in him for anything but a shag every now and then."

"You're sure of that," Hermione half-asked, looking unconvinced.

"Yes, I am." Harry relaxed comfortably against Draco, resting his cheek against Draco's collarbone again and watching Ginny and Hermione under Draco's chin. "Dean was the first bloke Seamus shagged, and the _only_ one until summer hols, when Dean couldn't keep it in his pants and decided to shag some bloke he's lived next door to since he was five."

Draco gave Hermione and Ginny a slightly surprised look. "You know, he might have a point. I never heard rumors about Seamus shagging around until this term, but I thought I just hadn't paid attention."

"No, he didn't do it," Neville said then, standing from where he'd been tutoring a fifth year in Herbology and walking over to sit on the hearth, looking at the others. "Seamus never shagged _anyone_ else until after Dean came back raving over the bloke he shagged all summer. Seamus started shagging his way through the Houses not long after that, and then Dean started panting after Harry." Neville gave Harry an apologetic look as he added, "And shagging around."

Draco snorted, somewhere between amused and annoyed. "Here I thought it was Seamus who couldn't keep it in his pants, and it was Dean that's a right prat to his boyfriends..."

Ginny murmured quietly, "They're both pretty bad at relationships, I think. Sex is easy for them to figure out, but admitting the way they really feel scares them."

"They're rather like Ron, that way," Harry said with a nod, adding, "Merlin knows I loved him -- still do, even -- but he was hopeless at admitting how he felt."

Neville looked sheepish and amused. "It's a guy thing, Harry."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, laughing. "Are you trying to say I'm not normal?"

"Do I need to?" Neville replied, grinning suddenly. "I will, if you didn't already know."

Harry spluttered as Ginny crowed with laughter and even Hermione started giggling.

Draco watched them all for a few moments before he said with a smirk, "It's alright, Harry. I love you anyway."

For some reason, Harry wasn't very mollified by that.

 

*~*~*

Oh, did you want me to change?   
Well I changed for good,  
And I want you to know that you'll always get your way,  
I wanted to say…

*~*~*

 

Seamus didn't bother to knock when he reached Dean's room, instead checking the door to see if it was locked and then slipping inside quietly. He paused just inside the room to close the door, letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting before he walked over to sit on the bed next to Dean. Dean didn't react, just sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees and looking down at his hands.

They were both silent for a while before Seamus finally asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

Dean let out a little noise that might have been either a sob or a laugh and then murmured thickly, "Oh, just ducky, mate. My ex-boyfriend, who just _happens_ to be the Boy Who Bloody Lived, just told all of our friends that he nearly killed himself because I treated him like shite." Dean looked up finally then, giving Seamus a bleak look. "Did you want something, or are you just here to ask questions you know the answers to?"

Seamus tried to keep his voice level and calm. "Harry had to be lying, Dean. You didn't treat him so ba--"

"Do shut up," Dean interrupted, looking away. "You know Harry wasn't lying. Besides the fact he has no reason to--"

"Other than hurting you," Seamus interjected a bit more heatedly, "which he's done quite well."

Dean went on without looking up. "-- everyone in the school knows he's a bloody awful liar." Dean looked at Seamus again, adding, "And we both know he'd not lie about something like that. Harry is very many things, but he's not cruel and he doesn't lie to his friends."

Seamus looked into Dean's eyes for a few moments as he tried to think of a way to make the pain in them go away, then finally half-asked, "He won't lie to us, hmm?"

"You know that," Dean replied quietly, resigned. "Not about anything important."

"Then I suppose you really are in love with me."

Dean's eyes widened and he stared at Seamus, opening and closing his mouth twice before he finally managed to find his voice. "Harry told you that?"

"Harry just told _everyone_ that," Seamus replied softly, still looking searchingly at Dean. "Said a few things that made me wonder a bit, truly, but that was the most important. Is it true?"

"I--" Dean broke off and stared at Seamus a moment longer, then nodded silently. He wasn't sure he could say it aloud, not until he knew how Seamus would react.

Seamus blinked and then punched Dean in the shoulder, hard. "You bloody bastard!" He tackled Dean then, knocking him to the floor and sitting on his belly to start swatting Dean's head and shoulders just hard enough to make it sting without really hurting him. "You're such a worthless _git_ sometimes!"

"Seamus, quit!" Dean covered his head with his arms, trying to keep Seamus from swatting him. "Jesus, you made your point, stop hitting me already! I knew better than to tell y--"

"I'm not mad because you told me, you arse." Seamus swatted Dean once more on the side of the head rather harder than he had been hitting him and then prodded Dean in the chest with one finger hard enough to make Dean yelp. "I'm mad because _Harry_ had to tell me!" He poked Dean again, adding a bit more heatedly, "And I want to know what the bloody hell you were thinking, shagging Harry and half the rest of the school! If you love me, why haven't you been shagging _me_ instead of slutting about like a tomcat with an itch?"

"Maybe because you were busy shagging the other half of the school?" Dean replied immediately, swatting Seamus' hands away. "You're just as much of a slut as I am, Seamus, so don't even start! Besides, why shouldn't I shag around? _You're_ the bastard who told me that you wanted to shag everyone in our year at least once except Hermione and the Slytherins."

Seamus blinked, then snorted and folded his arms across his chest, settling more firmly on Dean's stomach and giving him a level look. "That's not good enough. If you're in love with me, you should have said so."

"Oh, right," Dean replied, rolling his eyes and resting his hands on Seamus' thighs without really thinking about it. "I can just see how that would have gone. 'Seamus, I think I'm in love with you.' 'Oh really? That's nice. Blimey, Colin's arse is looking good today... I'll be right back, I just remembered someone I have to do.'"

Seamus cuffed the side of Dean's head again. "Arsehole. I'm not _that_ shallow." He snorted. "And you never tried it, so how could you know what I'd say? It's not on to just assume the worst, Dean, not on at all."

Dean looked up at Seamus a few moments and then said very slowly, "Alright, then." He took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. "Seamus, I think I might have gone and fallen for you."

Seamus leaned down, planting one hand on either side of Dean's head and looking at him with an exasperated, annoyed expression. "Dean, open your eyes." He waited for Dean to look at him and then said firmly with more than a little bit of annoyance, "That makes two of us. And you could have saved us both a _lot_ of trouble if you had said that a long time ago."

Seamus didn't give Dean a chance to respond before he kissed him rather hard, drawing a little squeak from Dean, who was too surprised to respond as what Seamus had said really sank in. Seamus started to pull away when Dean didn't respond, then Dean suddenly moved his hands to the sides of Seamus' head and began to return the kiss, kissing back just as hard and earning a low purr from Seamus.

Dean was the first to break the kiss, pushing Seamus back and giving him a firm, almost angry look. "You're not shagging anyone else, not anymore. You hear me?"

Seamus snorted and pulled out of his grip with an impatient little jerk. "No shite, Sherlock. Has anyone ever told you that you talk too bloody much?"

Dean spluttered, indignant, and Seamus kissed him again to stop whatever he was going to say, snickering. It didn't really matter. They had finally said the most important thing. Seamus figured the rest would either come naturally or one of their friends would point them in the right direction again.

Sometimes, having friends who cared enough to slap some sense into you was really a very good thing.

 

*~*~*

Don't you shiver,   
Shiver.  
Sing it loud and clear,  
I'll always be waiting for you.

*~*~*

 

Harry stretched slowly and purred, then nuzzled the side of Draco's neck and cuddled closer to him on the couch as he murmured, "What time is it?"

Draco opened his eyes to glance at the clock on the mantle, amused despite the fact he was feeling rather drowsy himself. "Nearly time for dinner, why?"

Harry sighed, remaining quiet a few minutes before he admitted, "I was sort of hoping we'd missed that."

Draco snickered and kissed Harry's hair just as Hermione's voice spoke up primly from behind them. "No such luck, Harry. You both really should go make yourselves presentable. Dinner's in ten minutes."

Harry groaned and just stayed where he was a moment before he suddenly lifted his head off Draco's shoulder to give him an appraising look. "Ten minutes, hmm?"

Draco smirked. "Plenty of time, if we get right to it."

Harry grinned and jumped up off the couch, grabbing Draco's hand to drag him up too and then leading him quickly towards the Prefects rooms. "We'll be along."

Ginny snickered as Hermione called after them exasperatedly, "Don't dawdle!"

"I'd not heard it called that before," Draco said cheerfully, making Ginny laugh harder.

"She's not very likely to say 'don't shag him silly, Harry'. 'Don't dawdle' is really much more Hermione's style." Harry grinned over his shoulder at Draco and then called back to Hermione, "And we'll not be too long about it."

Hermione snorted and went back to her revisions, muttering to herself about boys and their hormones while Ginny snickered at her.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione was pacing impatiently near the door of the deserted common room, scowling. "Ten minutes I told them, not _fifteen_. We'll likely have to go in after them."

Ginny smirked, leaning comfortably against the wall nearby and watching Hermione pace. "Sounds like fun, want me to go?"

"No!" Hermione replied quickly, turning her scowl on Ginny. "You stay right here with me. You're already seen them naked quite enough for today."

Ginny snickered, then heard a door in the Prefects hallway and looked that way curiously. "Sounds like th--" She broke off, her eyes widening just a bit as Dean and Seamus walked out into the room.

Dean looked just as he usually did, complete with his habitual good-natured grin. Seamus seemed back to normal as well other than the fact the robe he was wearing was too narrow across the shoulders and he had to leave it open down the front. Dean and Seamus both looked decidedly cheerful as Seamus grinned at Hermione and Ginny, his earlier anger seeming forgotten. "Waiting for Harry, then?"

Hermione blinked and nodded, nonplussed. "Uhm, yes, we are. Everything alright?"

"Right as rain," Dean replied, smiling at Hermione. "Tell him I said thank you. I'll make my apologies myself, next time I get the chance."

Seamus nodded to Hermione and Ginny, adding with a grin, "We owe him one."

"Or ten," Dean corrected with a snort, looking at Seamus.

Seamus just snickered and pushed Dean to the door. "Oh, go on with you. One's enough, if it's a good one."

They left without another word and Hermione blinked a few more times before she turned to Ginny. "Men really are quite odd."

Ginny laughed. "Men say the same thing about women, love."

"Only because it's true," Harry said cheerfully, walking out of the hallway with Draco at his side. "Why are men odd at the moment, though?"

"Dean and Seamus said to say thank you." Ginny smirked at Harry and Draco, noticing that they both looked as if they had dressed hurriedly despite the fact that Draco's hair was as immaculate as ever. She was amused to notice the silver snake was still holding Draco's ponytail and wondered if Harry had told him it was spelled with several powerful protection spells. She doubted it. Harry was just the type to give someone a seemingly innocent gift and not tell them that he wanted them to wear it because it would protect them when he couldn't.

Harry grinned widely, looking smug. "Ha! Rather nice to get it right for a change."

Draco snickered and pushed Harry towards the door, gesturing for Ginny and Hermione to precede them. "Yes, yes, you're a marvel of stating the obvious, Harry. Dinner is waiting and I seem to have worked up an appetite again, so walk while you congratulate yourself."

Ginny snickered and grabbed Hermione's hand, leading her towards the door while Hermione muttered to herself, "Very, _very_ odd."

 

 

 

 ~ The end, or a reasonable facsimile thereof.


End file.
